The Revenge of a Huntress
by GoGreen43
Summary: Arathelle, AKA Huntress, Ranger of the North and sister of Arathorn, joins the company of Thorin Oakenshield per Gandalf's request and soon discovers that the Dwarven King is not at all who she expected him to be. Her drive to get revenge for her brother's death may be the very thing that causes her demise, or will Thorin save her just as she saves him? Thorin/OC
1. the one with the prologue

**GoGreen43 here!**

 **Hope you all enjoyed the little prologue to my new story, The Revenge of a Huntress! I really wanted to add some female figures into the Hobbit and LOTR stories, so here this is. Basically, this story is what happens when you place a female into these different plotlines, and what happens as a result of that. I'm really excited about** **this story, and I hope you all are too! If you have any questions, comments, etc. just let me know via review or PM :)**

* * *

 **The Revenge of a Huntress**

 **-the one with the prologue-**

The moment the Ranger walked into the pub, the air changed. The drunken regulars looked to the figure cloaked in dark green and black and quickly averted their eyes. They had enough dealings with the Northern Rangers to know that they never amounted to too much good.

The Ranger stalked forward, their boots hitting the floor at a quickened pace. A long, double-edged broadsword hung from its scabbard along their waist, along with two similar-looking daggers that were in their own sheaths along both their thighs. Those weapons, along with the darkened hood, created a menacing aura around the Ranger that few dared come close to.

"Huntress! How nice it is to see you, my friend!" A voice called from a booth hidden away in the corner. The old man that inhabited the booth had a long, grey beard and was wearing a cloak that shrouded his form. A large walking stick was by his side, one that the man kept a firm grip on.

"The pleasure is mine, Mithrandir," a feminine voice responded. She slid into the booth across from the man with a practiced ease, as the lighting above the table cast a glow along the lower part of her face, showing her thin smirking lips.

"It's been a great many years, Huntress. How do you fare?"

The Ranger chuckled. "Same as always, I suppose. Orcs are on the move, but their purpose, Strider and I are searching for."

The old wizard looked at the Dunedain woman with a slight frown. "That is an important question, indeed. How is our dear Strider faring? I suppose he is looking more and more like his father every day that passes."

A thin smile drew upon her lips. "Yes, the resemblance is uncanny. Many times, I catch myself looking twice before I remember who I am indeed with."

"And how is the Prophetess? I hope she is indeed doing well."

"She is a wonder, much as her mother once was if you can remember."

The wizard laughed, shaking his head slightly. "Much like you as well, my dear Huntress."

"You are as much of a flirt as ever, Mithrandir," Huntress jested. "You must never change."

"I shall certainly try not to."

The old friends traded a look, before settling themselves into their positions. "However, I suppose this small talk is not why you asked for me to meet you here, Mithrandir. What troubles you?"

The old man's eyes gleamed. "What makes you think something is troubling me? You believe to know me so well?"

The woman rolled her grey eyes. "You know as well as I do you never ask to meet me among good circumstances. You always seem to have something grievous to say whenever you ask to make my acquaintance, so I just believe it is better to assume the worst when it comes to you, my friend."

He laughed. "I do suppose you are right, Huntress. I do need your help dealing with some sensitive matters pertaining to a particular white Gundabad orc that I know you to be hunting."

Her breath caught in her throat. "The white orc? You are sure?"

A look of severe gravity settled onto the wizard's face. "Most positive, my lady."

The Ranger's hand came to her mouth as she pondered over her next words. "What kinds of matters are you referring to? What news do you have of the Defiler?"

The wizard pulled out a piece of parchment from his robes and slid it across the table to the female ranger. "I happen to know who the orc is targeting next, along with where the fiend may be. I also know that you, my lady, have some unfinished business with this orc, and I believe that we will mutually benefit from your acceptance to assist on a quest I will be leading with a certain dwarf."

The Ranger quickly looked over the parchment riddled with black speech, the language of the orcs. "Azog wants Oakenshield's head. Of course, this makes sense, but what quest are you speaking of? I know nothing of a quest."

"Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, former King Under the Mountain is going on a quest to take back their home from Smaug, and I believe they will need your help if they hope to succeed, my lady."

She ran a hand across her face. "You know as well as I do that the stubbornness of the dwarves will not allow them to accept me to join them on this quest. Even more so, the stubbornness of the line of Durin, Mithrandir. If I accept, Oakenshield will surely have words to say of it."

The wizard smiled in mischief. " _When_ you accept to join us in this quest, Thorin will have to deal with it. My dear Huntress, you would indeed be a most valuable asset to the dwarves in taking back their home. You of all know what it means to lose a home, and these dwarves have the ability to take it back with your help."

"And you are saying that my payment would be placing the head of the white orc on a pike once and for all?"

The wizard's eyes glowed slightly. "Yes, my dear. You will finally be able to obtain your revenge on the white orc. The dwarves will obtain Erebor once more, and in the next coming years, that is a stronghold that Middle Earth will surely need on our side."

The Ranger nodded along. "You are hard to disagree with, Mithrandir. I will help you with this quest, however, I do ask you one thing."

The old man sat up straighter, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Whatever you desire, dear Huntress."

A thin smirk settled on her lips. "You do not reveal my true identity to the dwarves. I have enough problems along with a white orc to kill, I don't need to deal with worrying over that as well."

The wizard choked on a laugh. "You have my word, my lady. Or, shall I say, my dear, dear Huntress."

"Perfect."

"We will meet in the Shire at Bag End in one month's time. I look forward to our next meeting, Huntress."

"I as well, Mithrandir."

Without another glance at the old wizard, the Ranger silently made her way out of the tavern. No one noticed her exit besides Gandalf the Grey, who clapped his hands together merrily. Things were certainly coming together as planned.


	2. the one with the Huntress

**The Revenge of a Huntress**

 **-the one with the Huntress-**

 _"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster._

 _And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."_

 _-Friedrich Nietzsche_

* * *

A Ranger of the North rode silently through the forest on a black horse. Rather than holding onto the reigns, the Ranger had their eyes peeled on their surroundings, holding their bow tightly with an arrow ready to fire at will.

There were no sounds coming from the forest.

Years of training caused the hairs on the back of the Huntress' neck to stick straight up, and she felt her muscles loosen as adrenalin flowed through her bloodstream. She was ready for a fight, for she knew a fight was soon to come.

A scream pierced through the air.

Her horse shifted slightly, and she nudged _Mithril_ 's side to lead her toward to scream quickly. Her horse took off, darting to where the scream erupted and cut all too short.

If only she would let out another noise, then the Huntress knew Mithril would lead her right to the woman.

"Help! Someone, please help me!" The Huntress gritted her teeth and clicked her tongue once, allowing Mithril to make the chase.

Her trusty steed sped through the forest towards the defenseless woman, the next victim of the men she had been tracking for months. The Huntress knew she had them right where she wanted them. It was only a matter of time before she could take care of the situation herself.

"Shut up, you wench!" A man's voice echoed in the trees, followed by a _smack._

The sounds of tortured sobs reached the ranger, who nudged Mithril with her knee to slow the horse down to a slow trot as they came upon the scene. There were three men, all wearing dark clothes with worn boots. The man who had spoken was balding, with many gold rings that adorned is fingers. The Huntress let out a low hiss at the sight of the bloodied woman he held in front of him.

"I'd do what he says, doll," another man with a scar of a burn on his right side of the face quipped, walking up to the woman before petting her wiry brown hair possessively. "You don't want to know what we do to girls who _scream_."

The woman leaned away from the man's touch, causing the Ranger's grip on the bow to tighten. This was always the worst part.

The Huntress watched as the men started to tie the woman up and place a chain around her neck. They walked her to a carriage where she knew they must have others with them, though if they were captured or not was what she was waiting to discover.

She crouched quickly as one of the men turned to face her direction briefly while grabbing at the woman's knotted wrists and pushed her forward after not seeing anyone in his sight. The edges of the Huntress's lips quirked. _They had no idea._

The man with the rings opened the back door to the carriage as the Huntress looked on. In disgust, she noticed several other women that were bound and gagged in the back of the carriage, looking back at the others with terrified eyes. This was the confirmation she needed.

She took a deep breath before moving in. Three men against one, not counting the other women in the carriage, although the Huntress figured that they wouldn't be much help in their state- especially if the men used some sort of sedative to keep them quiet.

Knocking her bow, she let an arrow fly towards the men and without looking she knew she hit her mark as a man screamed in pain. Her arrow pierced through the man with the ring's hand and slammed into the side of the carriage, pinning him in place.

The two other men went to the ground for cover, dropping the women they brought to the carriage who fell to the ground without having balance from her bonds. The Huntress quickly knocked her arrows once more, letting them fly and killing the two men quickly. Their lives weren't necessary.

She quickly placed her bow on her back and hurried in silence to the woman on the forest floor who was trying to get herself back to her feet, although failing rather miserably. The man she pinned to the carriage was still holding his wrist and staring at his bloody hand while screaming.

The Huntress helped the woman up, cutting her binds, and tried to comfort her as best as possible. "Who-who are you? What-how did you know I was here? I didn't even tell my parents I left-"

Huntress held up a hand to silence the woman in her panic. "Hush, now, I've been tracking these men for many leagues. You're safe now, as are these other women. Do you mind undoing their bonds for me?" she asked, handing the woman a hunting knife from the inside of her cloak.

"Oh-yes, of course, thank you." The woman shakily grabbed the hunting knife from the Ranger and scurried over to head inside the carriage and help the other women she nearly joined.

The Huntress unsheathed her sword, a wicked looking broadsword with one edge being serrated and the other edge being a clean cut. "Now, kind gentleman, would you mind telling me what you were planning on doing with these women?"

The cowardly man looked up from the ground at the Ranger with hatred in his gaze. "I'd never tell you, scum."

She chuckled darkly. "No, they never do. But I'm in need of some information pertaining to this illegal activity you've been caught partaking in, and I plan on getting it one way or another."

The man gritted his yellow teeth. Blood was pouring from the hole in his hand, leaving a trail of red down his otherwise muddy and grimy arm. The rest of his body wasn't any better, the Huntress supposed.

"I ain't telling you shit, _Ranger_."

A smile graced the Ranger's lips. "You know what? I was hoping you'd say that."

For many moments after, the only sound to be heard were his screams that echoed throughout the forest.

The Ranger ripped her arrow out of the side of the carriage and tossed it back into her quiver before wiping the blood off her blade and onto her cloak and sheathing it. The man had been quick to reveal who had hired him and was not as tight-lipped as he had tried to pass as before. Unfortunately, all she had was a name.

She quickly moved into the carriage, where many trembling women were cowering in fear. There were eight other women in there, varying in looks and ages. The youngest must have been a mere thirteen, while the oldest looked around fifty. A part of the Huntress's heart went out for them and the terror they must have experienced.

They all stared at her with wide eyes, obviously having heard everything she had done to the man just outside the wooden cage, which most likely gave them caution to trust her. Of course, not many women make it a habit to go around torturing others, so the Huntress could understand their hesitation.

"Please pardon that little display, that man was not being as forthcoming as I'd have liked," the Ranger admitted. "I will hitch my horse to the carriage and bring us to the nearest town, Bree, where you all can receive medical attention and warm lodgings. You are all safe now."

The woman she had first freed looked at her with wide brown eyes, and her hair stuck up in various places. "You're a Ranger."

The Huntress nodded. "Yes, I am."

Another woman piped up, "But you sound like a woman!"

Huntress looked at her with a wry smile. "Of course, I do," she started, lifting her hood off her head. "Considering I am indeed a woman."

She heard gasps come from the other women as her long, raven black braid fell out to hang and frame the side of her face. "I apologize for the poor introductions, however, there were other matters I had to take care of. You may call me-"

"I have heard of you!" the eldest woman exclaimed. "You go by the name Huntress!"

Huntress nodded in affirmation.

More gasps riddled throughout the carriage. "You're _the_ Huntress?" the youngest asked, her blue eyes widening as her blonde curls bounced with her excitement. "My father has told me all about you!"

The Ranger fought back an eye roll. "You have heard much about me, then?"

Most of the women in the carriage nodded. Their eyes all were a bit brighter than they had been before.

"Then you all should know you are in safe hands. We must be on our way if we are to make it back to Bree before dark."

Without another word, Huntress made her way out of the carriage and back to the front where Mithril was waiting for her patiently.

They rolled into Bree Town right before the sun was about to set and make way for darkness. Huntress was pleasantly surprised to see her old friend there waiting for her at the entrance to town, as though he knew she would be making her way there. She somehow didn't doubt that he did.

Typical Halbarad. He's always been able to know where she would be before she even knew where she was most of the time.

"Halbarad, le mellon!" she called in greeting with a large smile. "It has been many months since our last meeting!"

The man laughed, nodding in agreement. "It is wonderful to see you again, dear Huntress. However, I wish it were under better circumstances, although I trust you have some information for me regarding these women?"

Huntress nodded, as the two rode with the carriage to their safe house on the outskirts of town. "I was tracking three men that I knew were tied in with the human trafficking cartel that has been scrounging these woods for the past many months, and I happened to cross them as they were taking another woman into their midst."

Halbarad nodded, his eyes narrowing as he stared along the roads ahead. "You left no survivors?"

"I would not want them sending information back to their employer, Halbarad," Huntress confirmed. She looked to the side to see their cabin coming in sight, where she knew her friend would take care of the women and send them off to wherever they came from with other bands of rangers.

"I only worry for you. I fear the more involved in this chase you become, the more you lose any chance of happiness for yourself, in the end."

The Huntress let out a breathless laugh. "I fear it is too late for that. I have lost a great amount, as you know, and along with that, I have lost much reason to find happiness. My happiness has already come and gone."

"I know of a few who would argue with you for a long while with that sentiment, Huntress," Halbarad commented. He raised an eyebrow. "I also know that what you have lost, those who you have lost, they would not wish for you to lose yourself this way after their deaths."

The Huntress swallowed, turning away from her friend to stare at the dark lodgings that the women would soon become well acquainted with, drawing Mithril to a stop. "They lost their chance to tell me that when they were killed, my friend."

She slid off the saddle and moved back to the carriage to unlatch her steed from the haul. "Mithril and I will start our journey to meet with Gandalf, now. I mustn't lose any more time as I am already running late."

Halbarad let out a laugh. "As usual, I suppose?"

The Huntress rolled her eyes openly. "Oh, but of course. Make sure these women get everything they may acquire and-"

"I will make sure they are brought back to their homes safely, Huntress. Stay safe, now. I do not want to have to inform your kin about an untimely demise at the hands of one of Gandalf the Grey's quests," her friend warned.

She laughed for real this time while tightening some of Mithril's straps. "You know I am _always_ careful."

"Your brother used to say that, Huntress."

She shrugged. "Well, I suppose I'm always slightly _more_ careful."

The man laughed and slid off his own saddle before turning back to look at the spot the Huntress previously occupied. As he expected, she wasn't there.

 _Good luck, my friend._


	3. the one with the brawl

**Hello readers! I'm so excited about this story, it's quickly becoming a favorite of mine :) Thank you so much for all of the favorites and follows, it really means a lot to me! Hope you are all enjoying the story!**

 **Ally.**

 **Revenge of a Huntress**

 **-the one with the brawl-**

 _"those who are at war with others_

 _are not at peace with themselves."_

 _-William Hazlitt_

* * *

Huntress knew that it was going to be a long night when she pulled up to the Shire. The sun had set minutes before she found herself at the door, which seemed to turn the rolling hills into a serene paradise.

"Not my mother's glory box!" a voice yelled.

Maybe she was wrong about the paradise part.

"There is no meeting—I don't even know why you are here!" the voice yelled again.

The Huntress could hear other voices coming from inside the home and immediately pieced together the information. Mithrandir obviously didn't tell the poor hobbit about the meeting he decided to have at his house.

That wouldn't be the first time the wizard did something like that. Far too personable, that one.

She kept her hood up as she walked up to the door where she saw the glowing rune that lit up well-paved brick pathway that was surrounded by various flower arrangements. Huntress figured the flowers probably meant something to the hobbit, or he wouldn't waste so much time perfecting the display.

As soon as she rang the doorbell, she regretted doing so. "Who are you and what do you think-"

The hobbit ripped open the door, suddenly cutting off his speech when he gazed at the intimidating figure covered in blood and grime that stood at the door. "Oh."

If Huntress wasn't trained to be calm in all types of situations, she would have felt extraordinarily awkward at that moment. "Hello, master hobbit. Is Mithrandir here?"

The hobbit in front of her blinked in surprise. Surely, he wasn't expecting that to come from her mouth. Huntress supposed the hobbit was rather adorable with his curly brown hair that was both piled on his head and on his feet. In her opinion, he looked less middle-aged and more like a child.

"I-uh-do you mean Gandalf?"

The ranger nodded.

"He-He's not here."

She smiled at the small creature, who topped out at her nose. "Ah, so he is not here yet. You are Master Baggins, no?"

The hobbit nodded, taking a visual gulp as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"Well, Master Baggins, it is a pleasure to meet you. Mithrandir, or Gandalf as you call him, speaks of you a lot."

The hobbit nodded, a smile tugging at the edge of his lips graciously. Huntress stood outside the door, politely waiting for Bilbo to gather his thoughts. She supposed the poor thing had much to think on, especially after Gandalf's meddling.

"Oh-oh dear me, do come in! What is your name?" Bilbo jumped from where he was standing to suddenly hold the door wide open for the ranger, who gracefully glided into the small abode.

"Many refer to me as Huntress. You may as well."

She held back a laugh from the incredulous look on the hobbit's face. "Okay, Huntress… call me Bilbo. Bilbo Baggins. Are you a Ranger? You sure look like one."

She nodded, scuffing off her boots on the rug by the door, then moving towards the dining room where the other voices came from.

"Are you with the dwarves?"

Before Huntress could answer, an aggressive voice chimed in, "Who is this filth?"

She noticed Bilbo stop moving behind her, possibly in shock at the terrible manners of the older bald dwarf. She remembered that hobbits look highly on propriety and manners, which made her question Gandalf's choice in a meeting spot. "What filth do you speak of, master dwarf?"

Huntress looked around at the four dwarves that were currently in front of her. Two of them were taller than her, which was not a hard thing to be, even for a dwarf. There were two younger dwarves, one blonde and one with darker hair, although their facial features told her they must be closely related.

The older two dwarves must also be related to each other, even though one was covered in white hair while the other had a dark beard with no hair on his head. The bald dwarf looked like a severe warrior and someone that would be quick to anger. Huntress's favorite type of person.

"You, lad. Filthy rangers, spreading disease and death everywhere you go. Why I oughta-"

The doorbell rang, cutting the warrior dwarf off. She sighed, hoping to hear what the dwarf wanted to do to her. Threats like that always make her life interesting.

"No. No, no, no, no! No more dwarves are welcome in my house!" Bilbo yelled, stalking towards the door.

"Well, he certainly has a bit of fire to him," the blonde dwarf commented.

Huntress found herself nodding in agreement.

Dwarves began piling in the small home, shoving the ranger and the hobbit back into the wall to their left as they all hurried to where their kin was.

The dwarves were followed by a familiar face to the ranger, one that wasn't too welcome for both her and Bilbo at this point.

"Mithrandir—"

"Gandalf, what are all these dwarves doing here! I swear to Yavanna, I know you have something to do with this!" Bilbo raged.

At least the wizard had the decency to look sheepish. "Don't you worry, young Bilbo, all will be figured out within time."

Huntress couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Why you—agh!" Bilbo clenched his fists and stomped away from the two others, following the loud noises of the dwarves who were currently taking from the hobbit's food pantry.

"Mith-Gandalf, did you not tell the dwarves about my part in this?"

"Do not worry as well, dear Huntress. You, like Bilbo, will have I all sorted out within time," Gandalf soothed, taking a strong puff of his pipe. "Do you honestly think I would tell the dwarves about a Ranger being included in the quest? How dull do you think me to be?"

She crossed her arms under her bound chest. "Look, Gandalf, these dwarves don't trust Rangers. And to be honest, I don't blame them, as my kin are not all morally sound. However, I don't trust these dwarves, and you're supposed to be the middle-man! Do your job, wizard!"

"I, uh, I suppose you may be right, my dear Huntress. Please don't be too mad with me. I am getting old, after all, I may start to be forgetting things," Gandalf pleaded. "Where did you come here from, anyway? You should think about cleaning up from all that blood. Not a very smart way to meet strangers, covered in blood."

"Put that back! Put that back!"

Gandalf and Huntress looked toward Bilbo who was standing in the middle of a mob of moving dwarves who were preparing for a feast. Dwarven meetings always ended up being feasts, and feasts always ended up in food fights. Poor Bilbo.

The roundest dwarf with his beard in a large rope braid walked by the hobbit with a stack of cheese, Huntress noted. Bilbo definitely noticed this, too.

"A tad excessive, isn't it?" Bilbo asked, gaining no response. "Don't you need a cheese knife?"

"A cheese knife?" the dwarf wearing a hat questioned behind the hobbit, making him jump. "He eats it by the block."

The ranger couldn't help but laugh a bit at that. Only dwarves.

Gandalf nudged Huntress with his staff. "Even you aren't immune to the delightfulness of dwarves! However stubborn they may be, they will always be a hearty bunch."

She nodded, still trying to take in the sight that lay in front of her. "I suppose I am not accustomed to such rowdiness after working alone for a time."

The wizard turned to face her and gave her a funny look. "It also seems that you've grown accustomed to a lack of hygiene," he said, gesturing to her bloodied attire. "Although dwarves are warriors and naturally not as hygienic as the elves, we do reside in a hobbit's home. You dressed like this at the dinner table would certainly mean disrespect."

Huntress rolled her eyes. "Are you just trying to avoid confrontation between me and the dwarves?"

He shrugged. "Is it working?"

"That depends. Will you save some food for me?"

Gandalf let out a laugh. "It would be my honor, my lady," he said. "Bilbo, come over and show or Ranger friend where to freshen up a bit before dinner. I find their current attire not to be appetizing and believe it would be wise to change into something more… suitable for dinner."

Bilbo perked up a bit, glad to have a reason to get away from the dwarven frenzy. "Of course."

The hobbit took the ranger's arm and dragged the hooded figure to the rest of the rooms, where a bath was quickly drawn for the woman. "Huntress, I do not have many female clothes, but I do have a few of my mother's old dresses that may suit you just fine. Although, they may be a little short."

She nodded, taking down the hood and removing her dark cloak. "Thank you very much, master Baggins."

Bilbo's large, innocent eyes widened at the sight of the woman. "Are you an elf, lady ranger?"

Huntress genuinely laughed at this, thinking of her dirtied complexion. "Careful there, you just may make me blush."

The hobbit looked confused. "M-My apologies, lady ranger. You just have natural elven beauty and it has been a long evening-"

"Do not worry, dear Bilbo." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "All is well. Now, if you can direct me to one of those dresses you spoke of, I would greatly appreciate it."

Bilbo quickly grabbed a simple blue dress that his mother had owned and gave it to the ranger. "If you need anything-"

"I won't hesitate to ask. Thank you, master hobbit."

He nodded, standing at the bathroom door for a few seconds before letting out a little, "oh!" and hurried away. Huntress couldn't help but find the hobbit's awkwardness rather endearing.

She quickly stripped off her clothes after shutting the bathroom door and locking it. The last thing she needed was to have a dwarf with wandering eyes try to join her. Who knew what they got up to at their regular feasts.

After getting a whiff of herself, the ranger was suddenly thankful for the wizard's distraction tactics. Sometimes listening to Gandalf proved to be a good thing after all.

However, listening can end up being a deadly endeavor as well. Huntress supposed it just depended on the day of the week.

She washed her long, raven black hair after taking out the plates that were splattered with blood and riddled with various sticks and leaves. _The beauty of an Elf my ass._ The kindness of hobbits may not really correlate with their ability, to tell the truth.

Her skin quickly went back to her natural ivory complexion after she scrubbed away at the dirt and grime that made her seem ten shades darker than what she really was. The water, clear before, was now a dirty brown, making the ranger's nose curl in distaste. _Oh, if Elrond could see me now. He'd throw a fit!_

The ranger stood out of the bath and dried herself off with one of Bilbo's towels he had laid out for her. She quickly dried her hair as well and left it down to dry faster, as she figured she would have plenty of time later to braid it for whatever journey she had signed up on.

 _You're here for the orc. Think of the orc. Gandalf has finally helped you get a chance at your revenge, don't waste it._

She definitely wasn't going to waste it.

After throwing her clothes in the bath water and scrubbing the spots that refused to clean away, she hung them up to dry on a rack that also held the towels. She figured Bilbo wouldn't care much anyway, now that she had rid them of the blood she was sporting earlier.

Huntress wrapped her belt that held her sword and a few daggers around her waist and hurried out of the bathroom, ignoring the fact that the dress hardly covered her ankles. If any of the dwarves had a problem with it, they would be in for a surprise.

Once she made it into the dining room, where everything seemed to be already cleaned up—save for one plate that Gandalf had saved for her, everything went silent. All the eyes of the dwarves were on her at once, which was a bit annoying for the ranger.

"Ah, dear Huntress, it is nice to see you in a dress once more," Gandalf spoke, breaking the silence with a widening grin. "This is far better than your bloodied ranger attire."

"THE RANGER FILTH IS A LASS?" The warrior dwarf roared, stomping up to the table with an intimidating scowl on his face. The ale in his hand swished with his angry steps, however, the dwarf never lost a bit of liquid to Huntress's awe.

"Dwalin, Huntress is a very suitable choice to go on this quest-"

"She's going on the quest?" The blonde dwarf asked, which started a complete riot of angry dwarves making their statements known.

"There is no way that lass is joining us!"

"I'd rather deal with a tree shagger than go on a quest with a woman!"

"She's here to ruin us!"

"She will delay our journey even further!"

Huntress continued to eat as if the dwarves weren't disgracing the ranger, and chose to politely ignore them, at least for right now. She'd rather eat something first, fight later. _You never know when you'll get to have a good meal._

"That is enough!" Gandalf yelled, standing up from his spot at the table. "She is my guest, and I expect her to be treated like one! Forget about your petty causes for distrust of the Northern Rangers, because I say this one is to be trusted, and trusted she will be!"

She blinked. That was most likely the kindest thing the wizard had ever said of her.

"I'll never trust a piece of filth!" the warrior dwarf, Dwalin, exclaimed. This was followed by most of the dwarves giving a loud, "Huzzah!" in response.

Huntress rolled her eyes at Dwalin. That dwarf seriously needed a serious attitude adjustment, or something else was going to be adjusted. But first, she continued to finish her food, and decidedly ignoring the dwarves who argued with Gandalf over her virtue.

Bilbo moved to stand behind her, and she knew that he was unconsciously giving her support. Perhaps the hobbit had more courage than she thought.

"It's a wonder what them rangers do for coin!" One of the red-head dwarves shouted. "I bet this wee lass is a whore!"

The dwarf with the hat pretended to swoon. "What is she gonna do? _Defile_ me?"

All the dwarves laughed at this. Huntress, having finished her delightful meal, had enough of the dwarves and their insults. It was time for her to make a stand.

 _Whump!_

She flung a dagger from her belt at the wall, knocking the pint of ale out of the hands of Dwalin. _Target the leader, create intimidation._

The dwarves went silent.

"No, master dwarf. But I might just cut out your tongue," she drawled, taking out another knife and twirling it before holding it in an offensive position. "Or perhaps, cut off your beard."

Dwalin's face proceeded to get red as the other dwarves looked on in both fear and amazement. However, at the mention of cutting off the hatted dwarf's beard, the warrior dwarf took action, throwing the glass of ale at the wall before grabbing for his ax that rested along his back.

"Why, lass, normally I don't fight women, but you're not really a woman, are you?"

She smirked, replacing her knife for a sword. "If you mean I'm not a human you'd be correct, Master Dwarf. However, I doubt I need to unlace my dress to prove my gender with the way you all have been eyeing me up."

If it was even possible, Dwalin's face turned a deeper shade of red. "You're no female. You're just a whore. Your mother musta been a whore too, and your father a bastard by the look of ya."

The other dwarves went silent as she visibly stiffened, rage flowing through her veins.

"Oh dear." She heard Gandalf mumble beside her.

She knew it would be wise to stop this fight before it started, especially as it was in Bilbo's home, and surrounded by a mass of dwarves who would most likely jump in at a moment's notice, and she was massively outnumbered.

But she hasn't always been known to be the most rational of beings.

She lunged at the warrior dwarf, seeing red. All rational thought deserted her, leaving a brainless, deadly machine behind in its wake. With only one thing on her mind—to kill.

The dwarf was a good warrior, and most likely had many more years to his name, but she had been trained by the Balrog-slayer himself. She was a daughter of kings. The blood running through her veins was the blood of the humans and the elves as one—a perfect masterpiece to create an ultimate warrior.

Huntress dealt blow after blow on the dwarf that was maybe an inch taller than her in height. She was too quick for the dwarven warrior to land any of his blows, as she parried and swung around him with the grace that only the elves attained.

Dwalin's swings of his ax many things in his path, and as each crash sounded, a frustrated yell of the hobbit could be heard as its echo.

Finally, Dwalin struck a lucky blow to Huntress's sword, sending it flying from the force behind the swing. Huntress figured she could end the fight easily by sticking a dagger into the dwarf's skull, but she also thought that might not go well with the other dwarves. She'd have to figure out another way to win this duel.

Quicker than a bolt of lightning, Huntress tackled the large dwarf after avoiding a swing of his weapon, sending them both sprawling on the floor. Dwalin's shock at the sudden attack by the ranger caused him to let go in surprise, something that he later would never admit to.

Left without any weapons, they started brawling on the floor, something that Huntress quickly discovered wasn't the best idea on her part. Dwalin was far bigger and stronger than her, and it was a miracle she was able to tackle him to the ground. She was going to have to end this, and fast.

"DWALIN! HOLD!"

But apparently, someone decided to do that for her.

* * *

 **Oooh... Wonder who that is? ;) Let me know who you think can control Dwalin like that! Also, if you want something to happen in the story, now's the time to tell me! Thanks for reading, and as always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, just shoot me a review or PM! See you next time!**

 **Ally.**


	4. the one with the exiled king

**Revenge of a Huntress**

 **-the one with the exiled king-**

 _"Believe me, every heart has its secret sorrows,_

 _which the world knows not,_

 _and often times we call a man cold,_

 _when he is only sad."_

 _-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_

Dwalin immediately let go of her, letting her drop to the floor with a grunt. Huntress looked around her at the wide-eyed dwarves that were all staring at the doorway with their mouths slightly open in awe. When she twisted her body to see who was there, she understood their awe completely.

A middle-aged dwarf was standing in the doorway of the living space her and Dwalin decided to brawl in, radiating power and strength. There seemed to be a regality in the way that he held himself, with his long raven hair with a few streaks of grey and the pair of braids that ran down the sides of his face, and the way his shoulders weren't slouched even an inch. This dwarf was certainly royalty.

It was then she knew she was in the presence of Thorin Oakenshield at last.

"What in Mahal do you think you are doing?" His booming voice questioned, breaking through the silence like a well-sharpened dagger.

Huntress quickly remembered herself and cut her gaze from him as she pulled herself into a standing position. Gandalf walked in between the two, obviously ready for discourse.

"Thorin, my friend, do you remember what I have told you about my acquaintance-"

The Dwarven King's eyes narrowed. "You spoke to me of a well-seasoned warrior, not of a woman you picked up on the road."

The Ranger glared at the King without a crown, setting her shoulders back and straightening her skirts to help compose herself. She knew Gandalf would have her head if she dared to make more of a fool of herself, however, she didn't take insults lightly.

Gandalf let out a sigh at Thorin's words. "She is not one I picked up from the road, Master Dwarf, and you will do well to remember that."

Thorin sneered. "If that's true then why was she rolling around with my General like some sort of wayward wonton?"

Huntress crossed her arms. "If you don't know the difference between those making love and those throwing fists, it's a wonder why you haven't any heirs."

The temperature seemed to cool a few degrees, as the Dwarf King stared down the Ranger, stalking forward like a Lion to its prey. "I do not believe you realize whom you speak to, _woman_."

As Huntress refused to take a step back, Thorin and she were now standing nose to nose, showing no difference in their height. "Oh, I believe I do, Master _Dwarf_."

Gandalf seemed to decide this was the right time to intervene, grabbing the Ranger's arm and pulling her back behind him. "That is enough, you two. If I have to play mother and make sure you both get along, then this will be a long quest, indeed."

She rolled her eyes at the wizard but calmed herself down as she knew he was right. This was not the place or time to be making enemies, after all.

Thorin seemed to make the same decision, however, Huntress quickly noticed he started to completely ignore her presence. At least for the ranger that was not really anything new to deal with. She was often never seen at all. Sometimes it even makes things easier.

"I thought you told me this place was going to be easy to find, Gandalf," Thorin spoke, taking off the cloak he wore over his clothing, handing it to the dwarf she believed to be named Kíli. "I lost my way, twice. I wouldn't have found it at all hadn't there been that mark on the door."

"M-Mark on the door?" Bilbo voiced. "There is no mark on the door, it was just painted a week ago!"

"There is a mark, I put it there myself," Gandalf admitted, looking to Bilbo somewhat sheepishly. Huntress had to hide a laugh behind her hand. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce you to the leader of our Company, Thorin Oakenshield."

Huntress soundlessly moved to grab her sword and place it in its sheath along with the dagger that was still embedded in the wall. She noticed a few of the dwarves looking at her with wide eyes, particularly the Blonde dwarf and the other young one, who she believed she heard was named Ori.

"So… this is the Hobbit," Thorin spoke, crossing his arms around his wide chest and started circling Bilbo like a predator. _Would it be bad if I stabbed him? Just a little?_ "Tell me Master Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?" Bilbo was quite obviously stunned.

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"

"Well, I have some skill at Conker's, if you must know," the hobbit mentioned smugly. "But… I fail to see why that's relevant."

"Thought as much," Thorin summed, looking back at the other dwarves who were enraptured by their leader. "He seems more like a grocer than a burglar."

The other dwarves started laughing, and Huntress was immediately frustrated at the smugness of the dwarves. However, the hobbit did indeed look more like a grocer rather than a burglar, but she knew that not all things were always as they seemed. This is one thing she and Gandalf had in common.

"Don't worry, Bilbo," She told the hobbit quietly as the dwarves moved to the dining room. "That is only the opinion of one who has just only met you."

Bilbo looked up at the ranger with big eyes, and Huntress was taken aback for a second at just how child-like hobbits could be. "Really?"

She nodded. "Of course. I've only just met you myself, and I've come to quite enjoy your company. I can see why you've chosen Bilbo for this quest, Gandalf."

Gandalf looked between the Dúnedan and the Hobbit with a small smile. "That is good, Lady Ranger. That is very good indeed."

 **. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Later that evening, the dwarves got themselves settled at the dining table once more, although the only one with food in front of them was Thorin. The company was a lot less rowdy and far more contained, which could only be due to the inclusion of the Dwarf King.

Thorin sat at the head of the table, with Gandalf to his left and the aged dwarf named Balin to his right. Huntress believed Balin to be some sort of advisor for Oakenshield with how often he has been giving the Dwarven king his opinions.

Huntress stood to the side of the room behind Gandalf, leaning against the wall with her arms and legs crossed. She had redonned her cloak and had her hood up to avoid the others as best as she could. She knew Gandalf wouldn't like her getting into any more precarious situations as she did before, and she didn't really want to deal with another raging dwarf, either.

"What news from Ered Luin?" Balin asked, making all the eyes turn towards the King in question. "Did they all come?"

"Aye, all voices from all the Seven Kingdoms were there," Thorin acknowledged between bites of his soup. All the other dwarves seemed to let out a cheer at that.

"What did the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" Dwalin asked from his seat next to Gandalf. _Just in spearing distance with my sword._ "Is Dain with us?"

Thorin looked down at his bowl, and Huntress immediately knew his answer. "No. They will not help us."

The dwarves at the table seemed to let out a breath as a weight of a hundred of their kin had fallen onto their shoulders. "They say the quest is ours, and ours alone."

Bilbo popped in the doorway next to Huntress, spooking her. She hadn't heard him coming. "So, you're going on a quest?"

The dwarves and Huntress looked at Bilbo in question. Of course, the poor hobbit had no idea about any of this. _Oh dear._

"Bilbo," Gandalf cut in, obviously to hide the fact that his burglar wasn't exactly aware of his being a burglar at all. "My dear fellow, let us have a little more light."

Bilbo immediately moved to grab a candle to illuminate the table, where Gandalf pulled out a map, laying it out in front of the company. "Far to the east, beyond ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."

Huntress pulled back the dark green hood to get a better look to where Gandalf was pointing. _Erebor._ And what was on top of the mountain? The picture of a single red dragon. She knew the story, she knew what they were going to face. But now it was real.

"The Lonely Mountain," Bilbo sounded out, reading the map in front of him.

One of the red-head dwarves spoke up at this point, "Oin has read the portents, and the portents say," groans could be heard throughout the room, "It is _time._ "

"Ravens had been seen flying back towards the mountain as it was _foretold_ ," a grey-haired dwarf furthered. "When the barons of yore return back to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."

Huntress locked eyes with Gandalf, a trickle of doubt and fear washed between the two of them. The white orc was one thing, but dragons… a dragon was going to be something completely different.

"What beast?" Bilbo asked from his food store.

The hatted dwarf that Huntress had previously thrown her dagger at was the one to pipe up after taking a heavy swig from his pipe, "That would be mister Smaug the Terrible. The Chiefest and Greatest Calamity of our age."

Bilbo walked forward towards the table slightly, wringing his hands nervously.

"Airborne firebreather. Teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals-"

"Yes, I know what a dragon is," Bilbo cut in, somewhat unnerved.

Huntress was busy looking at Thorin's reaction to the hatted dwarf's description. She knew that Thorin had been in Erebor the day Smaug attacked and had seen the horror for himself. There was no way he had gotten over it, none at all. Not even after all these years. And from the way his eyes looked down she knew that he still had nightmares to this day.

Suddenly, the dwarf named Ori stood up and proclaimed, "I'm not afraid! I'll give him a good taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksy!"

"Oh, sit down!" The dwarf that must have been Ori's older brother pulled him down back into his seat as the others grumbled out their grievances to the young dwarf.

"I doubt we would be enough with an army behind us," Balin chimed in. "But we number at just 13. And not 13 of the best, nor brightest."

This caused the other dwarves to turn to Balin and give their retorts while Huntress had to hold in her laughter with a hand pressed to her mouth. When they weren't insulting her, she assumed that these dwarves could make for good company.

The blonde dwarf slammed a thick hand onto the table. "We may be few in number, but we're fighters. All of us!" he hit the table again jovially, "Till the last dwarf!"

"And you remember we have a _wizard_ in our company, Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!" Kíli, who sat next to the blonde dwarf, exclaimed.

"Well-uh-" Gandalf sure had gotten himself into a tough situation.

Huntress grinned at the wizard. "Yeah, Gandalf, how many dragons have you killed?" She goaded.

Gandalf turned and looked at her sheepishly. "You shouldn't be turning on me, Lady Huntress."

Thorin looked at her swiftly, and her eyes widened slightly when she met his eyes. She never noticed just how deep of a blue they were, much like the clear oceans of Dol Amroth.

"Well how many then?" Ori's older brother asked, causing Thorin to turn away from her gaze. "How many dragons have you killed?"

Gandalf breathed in his pipe, trying to avoid the question as best as possible. Thorin only looked at him knowingly. He started to cough from holding in the smoke, which made the other dwarves realize what Thorin and Huntress already knew. "Well go on," the dwarf continued. "Give us a number!"

The dwarves started raging at Gandalf from around the room, yelling back and forth at each other. This was the part about dwarves that Huntress had decided she did not like one bit. She simply leaned back and took Gandalf's pipe from the wizard's fingers and took a quick swig for herself. If she didn't have ale, she'd need something to ease the madness.

"Enough!" Thorin roared as he stood, bringing the room to silence once more. Gandalf wrenched the pipe out of her hands, taking it back from her angrily.

"If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lays unprotected. Do we sit back and let them claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor!"

The rest of the company let out cheers at their King's rightful speech, and Huntress had to admit that the influence he had over them, and over others was overwhelming. Thorin was without a doubt a son of Durin, she decided. Only a dwarf with that lineage could hold such sway and regality.

"You forget that the front gate is sealed," Balin cut in, causing the dwarves to quickly loose their glee. "There is no way into the mountain."

"Actually, Balin, you're quite wrong about that," Huntress cut in. All the dwarves looked to the ranger with widened eyes as though she had two heads. "From what I've discovered, there is another way in."

Gandalf nodded along. "She is right, master dwarf."

The wizard pulled out a key from his sleeve, a key that would unlock a side door to the Lonely Mountain, a key that only the Kings would possess of Erebor.

Thorin looked at the key, completely transfixed. "How came you by this?" he asked softly, as though it would slip from the wizard's fingers at a sound any louder.

Gandalf looked back at Huntress who took a few steps forward. "It was given to my brother by your father. By Thrain. My brother, in turn, gave it to Gandalf. For safe-keeping."

Thorin looked at Huntress as though he were seeing her clearly for the first time. "You knew my father?"

She bit her lip. "Briefly."

The other dwarves seemed to be trying to figure out how to process this new information, blinking in shock.

"How-when? When have you met with him, where is he?"

Huntress pursed her lips. "It has been many years since I have seen him last, Master Dwarf. I do not know of where he currently dwells. He disappeared from my village decades ago."

"Does your brother know of his whereabouts by chance?" Balin asked.

Huntress's entire body immediately tensed, and she heard Gandalf's quick intake of breath from in front of her. This wasn't a subject she liked to talk about. "My brother is dead, Master Dwarf. He has been so for many years."

The room went silent.

"Very well, this key belongs to you know, Thorin," Gandalf quickly spoke, moving on from the melancholy. "Use it well."

"If there is a key… there must be a door!" The blonde dwarf exclaimed. Huntress would have laughed had the situation been different.

Gandalf nodded at the dwarf. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls," he explained, pointing at the map with the end of his pipe.

Kíli's smile was one of hope. "There's another way in."

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gandalf explained with a sigh. "The answer lies somewhere hidden within this map, and I do not have the skill to find it, but… there are others in Middle Earth who can."

Huntress took a step back to the wall and leaned against it casually; betraying the raging emotions she felt inside. She was going to go back to where she grew up… where the memories remain of her brother. For some reason, that pained her more than she could imagine.

Thorin looked up at Gandalf with a questioning glance, and Huntress knew that Gandalf hadn't been too open about his plans with the dwarves. Certainly, he hadn't been clear with her, and she was the one who had helped compile the things he was to need.

"I have a plan," Gandalf admitted. "And it will require a great deal of stealth," the dwarves looked toward Huntress, who slunk back into the shadows, "and no small amount of courage. But if we are careful, and clever, I believe it can be done."

"That's why we need a burglar," Ori revealed, pointing to the unknowing hobbit that was loitering behind Thorin.

"Uhuh," Bilbo agreed. "And a good one too. An expert, I would imagine."

Huntress rolled her eyes at the poor hobbit's blissful ignorance.

"And are you?"

Everyone turned to look between Ori's older brother, who questioned the hobbit, and the hobbit himself. Huntress could see it had yet to all click for Bilbo, who held onto his suspenders and looked behind him in confusion as to who was being questioned. "Am I what?"

The dwarf holding a hearing device to his ear exclaimed, "He said he's an expert! Hey!"

"Me-no, no, no I'm not a burglar! I've never stolen a thing in my life!"

The ranger found herself silently agreeing with the hobbit.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Mister Baggins," Balin admitted. "He's hardly burglar material."

"Aye, the wild is no place for gentle folk who cannot defend themselves, nor for _women_ ," Dwalin spoke, his words particularly filled with venom when he spoke of women.

Huntress decided to ignore the blatant jab and continued to listen on as the dwarves started talking amongst themselves, bickering and fighting about Bilbo's prowess as a burglar. Huntress knew there would be no way to change a hobbit in such a way, as Bilbo seemed to not want to change himself.

The air quickly seemed to drop in temperature and shadows casted around the wizard as he seemed to grow in size and his voiced echoed, "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!"

Huntress tried to hide the smirk that loitered on her face after seeing the dwarves lean back from Gandalf's show of his sheer power. She hadn't moved an inch.

"Hobbits are remarkably quick and light on their feet, and Smaug is unaware of the scent of hobbits, so Bilbo could go into the chamber easily, which gives us a distinct advantage," Gandalf explained further. He turned to Thorin, "You asked me to find a fourteenth member of this company, and I've chosen Mister Baggins. There is a lot more to him than appearances suggest. And he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know!" Gandalf looked towards Bilbo. "Including himself."

Huntress sighed, realizing that Bilbo was most likely their best bet. She hadn't wanted the hobbit to face any danger, however, if he so chooses she would defend him till her last breath.

"You said you'd only add a fourteenth member, Wizard," Dwalin spat. "You added a fifteenth as well. That woman has no place in this company."

The ranger had to resist the urge to behead him where he sat, but Gandalf tried to diffuse the situation.

"Now, now, no need to say that-"

"My brother is right, Thorin," Balin spoke, eyeing Huntress warily. "We know nothing about this woman, how can we trust her even if she says she has met Thrain! By Mahal, she'd hardly be old enough!"

"Yes, how can we trust her!"

"She is rather short for a human-"

"Her name probably isn't even Huntress!"

"She's a ranger, everyone knows you can never trust a ranger!"

The dwarves started peeling off at each other again, and Huntress let out a long sigh. There was no winning with these thick-headed dwarves. All they seem to be is a bunch of pack-minded fools!

Instead of creating a scene, she turned gave Oakenshield a hard stare. He was looking between all the dwarves, seemingly half-heartedly listening to their madness. _Target the leader_ , she reminded herself. _Persuasion starts from the top-down._

She knew that the Dwarf King could feel her stare. For Illvutar's sake, a bloody _rock_ could feel her stare. Apparently, he was still playing the childish game of ignorance of his. _Very well,_ she thought. _I tried._

She unsheathed her dagger and made a show of stabbing it deep into the table to get their attention. The ranger heard the whimper of the hobbit next to her and made a mental note to apologize for all the damages later.

"Will all of you just _SHUT UP_?"

The infamous glare of the Huntress of the Rangers stared down into the souls of each and every one of the dwarves. "I am _not_ some meek, breakable lady who stays behind and doesn't fight! I fight for what is right, I have been trained by some of the greatest warriors of all Middle Earth, I have seen all corners of this world, and I will _NOT_ be treated like this!"

She ripped the dagger out with a cry of anger. "I am the Chief of the Dúndain Rangers, and I will be _treated_ like it!" Huntress turned to Dwalin with malice. "Whether I am _female_ or not, or even if I am far shorter than I should be, I am a _warrior_ and I will fight till my last breath to defend that hobbit and my dear friend Gandalf. The rest of you must prove your worth. I am _not_ some primped-up, high-nosed lady! I am a _Dúndain_ and you will treat me as such!"

The ranger stopped, looking around the room at the shocked dwarves and hobbit that surrounded her. The wizard, on the other hand, looked rather smug. "I am going with you on this quest. I know what it is like to lose everything, and I should like to help you all get it back."

The Dwarven King stood up from his seat and looked deep into her eyes. Something told her he knew just what she meant, and he believed her. _Thank the Valar for that._

"Balin," Thorin spoke with his deep drawl. "Give them both the contract."

Dwalin went to disagree, but once Thorin held out a hand to stop his War General and his greatest ally, he stood down. Huntress let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding as she gripped the paper in her hand. _Small victories._

She quickly walked into another sitting room and plopped down on the couch to begin to read what she was signing up for.

" _Funeral arrangements?_ " Bilbo's shocked voice asked. Huntress chuckled to herself as she continued to read. Everything seemed to check out for her. However, there was just one little piece-

"Incineration?" Bilbo asked.

The ranger simply rolled her eyes.

"Aye, it'll burn the flesh off your bones in a blink of an eye," the hatted dwarf expanded. She pursed her lips at the smugness on the dwarf's face when Bilbo started to panic.

Huntress walked back into the dining room silently, causing Thorin to jump once he noticed she was now next to him. "Sorry," she mumbled without thinking.

He simply glanced at her with raised eyebrows but quickly turned back to see Bilbo hunched over with his hands on his knees.

"Feeling a bit faint," Bilbo admitted, taking a few deep breaths.

Unfortunately, the hatted dwarf chose this moment to go in for the kill. "Think furnace, with wings. Flashing light, searing pain, and poof!" He waved his hands in the air, "You're nothing more than a pile of ash!"

Huntress looked at Bilbo, trying to figure out if she should go help steady him. However, it was too late.

"Nope," Bilbo said, before promptly passing out and falling heavily onto the ground with the contract still in hand.

"Good going, Bofur," Gandalf told the hatted dwarf, who finally had a name.

"Yeah," Huntress agreed. "Good going, Bofur."

Gandalf recruited a few other dwarves to help him bring Bilbo to the living room and lay the hobbit out on the sofa. The poor thing was bloody gone if Huntress could say so herself.

Only a few remained in the dining room; the blonde, Kíli, Dwalin, Balin, and Thorin. The others moved to go follow the hobbit into the living room.

"Master Oakenshield, there are a few things with this contract that I would like to discuss," Huntress spoke with confidence.

"What?"

She felt the hairs perk up on the back of her neck at the sight of the other dwarves looking toward her menacingly. Apparently, males of all types of races were always the same.

"I would like to discuss my share of the gold-"

"You will be getting no more than promised!" Thorin snapped, his eyes darkening to a near black. Huntress swallowed, keeping her pang of fear beneath the surface.

"I was actually going to say before you so rudely interrupted me, Master Dwarf, was that I wanted _no_ share of your wealth. I have no care for gold no treasure."

The dwarves seemed shocked at this. "Why is that?" the blonde dwarf asked.

Huntress shrugged. "I'm a traveler, Master Dwarf. I'm a ranger. I have no need for carrying around such things. I find value in food and water, and even shelter, but not that."

Kíli looked at her as though she had some sort of disgusting disease. "You are a strange thing, aren't you?"

She smiled softly at the young dwarf. "Careful, dwarf. Some females may take offense to comments such as that."

"What else do you have to _discuss_ about your contract, lassie?" Balin asked.

"For the funeral arrangements, do not worry about those, if anything happens all shall fall onto Gandalf's shoulders."

They nodded. "As it should," Thorin agreed, and he took a step closer before speaking near her ear. "I am not responsible for you, and if anything happens or if your safety is breached it will not be my fault. Are we clear on that?"

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Why of course, Master Dwarf. I wouldn't want to burden you in all my _wonton_ ways."

This seemed to surprise the Dwarf. Huntress looked at him smugly before handing the signed contract to Balin and said her goodbyes for the night before quickly taking her leave into the room Bilbo had placed her in before.

She was going to need as much rest as possible if she were going to be dealing with this lot.


	5. the one with the road

**Revenge of a Huntress**

 **-the one with the road–**

"And suddenly you know…

It's time to start something new

And trust the magic of new beginnings."

" _Arathorn, wait for me!"_

 _Arathelle ran after her brother through the tree line with her tiny feet pattering lightly against the forest floor. Her raven curls trailed behind her like dark cape as it fluttered in the wind that whistled past her ears. A storm was coming, the young girl realized. Something wasn't right._

 _The 14-year-old slowed down, listening to the clenching in her belly. She grabbed hold of the bow that was latched onto her back, and mentally took stock of her quiver just as she was trained. Thelle knew that Glorfindel would be sure to kill her if she didn't._

 _A light sound of something rustling in the trees above her caught the girl's attention, drawing her to a stop. "Arathorn come out now! Elrond's gonna be mad at us if we're late to dinner again!"_

 _Her brother didn't answer._

" _Arathorn, this isn't funny!"_

 _The rustling continued. Thelle knew her brother liked to play tricks on her, but even he wouldn't stoop so low to make her feel unsafe or worried like this. She was positive he wouldn't._

 _She drew an arrow out of her quiver, aligned it along her bow, and prepared tto fire._

" _Arathorn! If you don't show yourself now, I'll shoot you! I swear I will!"_

" _Thelle?"_

 _Her brother's voice sounded out from behind her, though the girl kept her eyes on what lied within the trees. "Thorn?"_

 _She felt him come up alongside her. "What is it?"_

 _The rustling continued, cutting off her reply. A low growl sounded out from the darkened leaves, but for some reason Thelle couldn't see beyond that no matter how hard her grey eyes strained._

 _Her brother, already a proven valiant warrior, unsheathed the sword that hung at his waist. "When I tell you, you must run back to Rivendell, Arathelle."_

 _She grit her teeth. "I won't leave you."_

" _You must."_

 _The rustling stopped suddenly, and a growl sounded out once more, however it was far louder than the one before. Chills went down her spine, and she tightened her grip on her bow._

" _Now, Thelle!" Arathorn barked out, just as the beast dropped down from the trees and started towards them. Her breath caught in her throat, never having seen something so horrible before. "Go!"_

 _The beast ran toward the duo with a sword-like-weapon and a fierce battle cry, and Thelle nearly fainted at the sight of the razor-sharp teeth that it owned. Its skin looked like a rough sort of leather, and it was wearing some sort of black armor that exuded a darkness that made her wince._

 _Her brother ran toward the beast and locked blades with the beast without delay. Arathelle knew she had to move, she had to run and get help, but she found that she couldn't feel her legs._

 _The clashing of their blades echoed throughout her mind as she tried to gain her bearings._

" _Thelle!" Arathorn grunted. "Go!"_

 _The sound of her brother's voice shocked the girl out of her stupor, and she turned to run, but she turned to be face to face with another beast that looked to be just like the one her brother was fighting. The beast threw a knife in her direction, but luckily her training kicked in and she unconsciously dodged it before darting to the side and knocking her bow once more._

" _There's more!" She yelled out, before shooting an arrow at the beast. Black blood sprayed out from the wound on its neck and quickly the fiend sunk to its knees and died of its wounds._

 _She heard her brother curse and turned to look only to see that three more had come up on him. "Thorn, look out!"_

 _Thelle quickly released more arrows at the beasts, each meeting their marks just as the one had before. She quickly made work of the things that were targeting her brother, and a surge of delight came upon her bones, but she quickly stopped it, knowing she shouldn't be excited about something like this._

 _She knew she should be scared out of her mind, yet, for some reason, she was enjoying it._

" _Thelle! Behind you!" Her brother looked behind her with wide eyes. From where he was looking, she knew where to avoid, jumping out of the way at the last second to avoid being impaled by a sword._

 _She cursed as arrows fell from her quiver as she fell to the ground and turned once more to avoid being stabbed by blocking a blow with her bow. A grunt escaped her lips from the force behind the blow, and locked eyes with the beast above her._

 _Its eyes were entirely black, and completely subhuman. A trill of fear ran through her, but she ignored that for now. Only prey feel fear, she thought. And prey are the ones who die._

 _Thelle quickly kicked up with both feet, planting them in its stomach before pushing up and over her body, flipping the beast with sheer will power. She quickly moved, grabbing an arrow that had fallen near her head before slamming it down into the beast's uncovered throat as it stilled in shock from being flipped so easily._

 _The black blood splattered on her face and hands, making her grimace. It was not a fashion statement that she particularly liked, but it was the telling of a warrior for sure._

" _Thelle! Are you okay?" She heard her brother's footsteps run up to her side, and he hauled her to her feet. "You're not hurt, are you?"_

 _Arathorn's matching grey eyes studied hers diligently before letting her go and checking out their surroundings. Thelle did the same. There were eight bodies that surrounded the twins, and Thelle could feel the excitement of battle leak from her being and become replaced with weariness._

" _I-I am fine, but what about you? Thorn, you were fighting all those things at once and-"_

 _He looked down at her with a wicked grin. "And you saved my ass? Thanks for that, Thelle. You're deadlier than I thought with a bow."_

 _She smiled. "Don't you forget it, either."_

 _Arathorn laughed, before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and steering her back toward Rivendell. "We'll make a Huntress of you yet, Thelle. Just you wait."_

Huntress's eyes shot open as the sun started to rise beyond the horizon. She could still feel the warmth of her brother's arm as it wrapped around her shoulder, but in its absence, it started to be overcome by the cold.

The memories of her past continued to haunt her, even though many years have passed since those days. Now that Gandalf wanted her to go with the company back to where she grew up with Arathorn, Huntress figured that there were going to be more memories and flashbacks than usual.

She was definitely not looking forward to it.

The Ranger quickly got herself ready for the road and walked out to the kitchen where Gandalf was sitting with a cup of tea. The dwarves weren't ready, apparently, as she heard some loud snores come in from the living room.

"Good morning, dear Huntress," Gandalf spoke before taking a sip of tea. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, before heading to the food stores to see if the dwarves left anything to eat for the morning. A few pieces of fruit and various vegetables were left, which did not surprise the Huntress. She supposed dwarves hated their vegetables and were more suited toward a hardy diet.

After grabbing a stock of broccoli to pick at along with an apple, she took a seat beside Gandalf who had poured her a cup of tea. "I believe this is how you like it."

Huntress took a sip of the dark liquid and smiled softly at the wizard. "Your memory hasn't left you in old age, after all."

He rolled his eyes, but she saw a small quirk of his mouth that showed her he had taken the comment in jest. The two sat in silence, neither commenting on the fact that they were about to face certain death and join a group of the rowdiest race on middle earth for an uncertain about of time. They just sipped their tea and waited.

Thorin Oakenshield was the first to walk into the kitchen along with Dwalin and Balin at his sides. He nodded to the wizard politely, but completely ignored the Ranger. Huntress knew this was going to be a regular occurrence, and decided she'd try to stick it out as long as she could, rather than lose her temper before they even left.

"We will leave within the hour," the Dwarf King grumbled, before taking a bite out of an apple aggressively.

"I suppose I shall go wake up the others," Gandalf said, making his way out of his seat and placed his cup beside the other dishes.

Huntress made a move to follow him, but the wizard pinned her in her place with a glance. "I will do so alone, Huntress. Maybe you should allow the master dwarves to ask some questions, hm? I'm sure they're curious as to how you've come along to join us on this quest."

Before she could say anything, Gandalf quickly made his way out and into the other room where the dwarves were sleeping. "Thank you, Gandalf," she mumbled, before taking a bite from a broccoli head she peeled off.

"The wizard is right in saying we have questions, lass," Balin spoke before taking a swig of the mead his brother handed him. "What is a woman like you doing coming along with a group like this?"

"What, you mean you haven't any idea after I told you all my reasons last night?"

Huntress looked at the three dwarves in question, placing her food back down on the table. "I thought my reasons were clear enough, to be honest."

Thorin looked at her with a strong, steely gaze. This was the first time he acknowledged her today, she noted. "Your reasons were not as clear as you believe, Dúndain. Certainly not clear enough to gain any sort of trust."

The other dwarves nodded in agreement.

"What would you have me do? I know what it's like to lose your home, your family, your well-being. I intend to help you all gain it back, as I will never have the chance myself. If you can't believe me-"

Dwalin glared at her. "You attacked us, Ranger. There's nothing you can say that will make me believe a word coming from your forked tongue."

She leaned forward toward the bald dwarf. "Then you'll be the first to see what happens to those who-"

"Good morning!" Bofur cheered as he walked into the dining room and kitchen. "Off to a good start are we, lassie?"

Huntress quickly hid the resentment toward Dwalin in favor of the others who were filing in. She knew that if she were to act like that with every dwarf in the company, she would get nowhere.

"Good morning, Master Dwarves. I will be going and preparing my horse, I will see you when it is time to leave," she acknowledged, not trusting her ability to keep calm with the certain dwarven General and dwarven King present.

 _This is going to be a long quest._

It was going to be worth it, however, when she would be able to face down the white orc and slay him once and for all. _Yes_ , she supposed. _It will all be worth it in the end._

After she brushed Mithril and was done sneaking her lovely horse an apple or two, she started to gather her weapons and bags and tacked her up. She heard the dwarves as they exited the hobbit's home and couldn't help but smile as Kíli was messing around with the blonde dwarf and making fools out of themselves as they gathered their ponies.

The two dwarves reminded her of the two elven lords who she grew to love like brothers during her childhood spent in Rivendell. She would be willing to bet money on that the two dwarves were related in some way, most likely closer than not.

"Fee, stop being such a downer. I'm sure you'll find someone who would love your filthy mug one day," Kíli goaded, shooting the blonde dwarf a wolfish grin.

"Shuddup Kee."

Kíli continued to make fun of the blonde dwarf, who seemed awfully used to the young one's antics. She knew they must be brothers for how close they were acting, or possibly cousins. Kíli stopped egging him on as soon as he noticed Huntress tending to her horse. "Oi! Huntress!"

The dark-haired dwarf waved at her with a wide grin. She found she wasn't able to keep the grin off her face and waved back at the young lad, who's smile got even wider at the sight of her acknowledgement.

"Kíli, let her be. She probably doesn't want you annoying her-"

"I am not annoying!"

Huntress urged the horse forward with her and walked to greet the dwarves. "Hello there, master dwarves. How are you this morning?"

Kíli threw the blonde a smirk. "See? She's not annoyed."

She quirked a brow. "How do you know I'm not annoyed? I most certainly find you to be quite annoying, actually, Kíli."

The blonde laughed as Kíli placed a hand over his heart in shock, with a loud, dramatic gasp. "Who, me?"

Huntress nodded, keeping her face as serious as she possibly could. "I'm afraid so."

"Well, Kíli, I agree with her there," the blonde said, clapping the other dwarf on the back, before turning to greet the Ranger. "Fíli, son of Víli, at your service."

He immediately went to bow, dragging the dwarf she assumed was his brother down with him. "She knows who we are, brother," Kíli mock-whispered. "Why are you introducing yourself?"

The blonde, Fíli, shrugged. "It's called being courteous, Kíli. You should try it sometime."

Huntress smiled. "Thank you for the courtesy, Fíli. It is much appreciated."

"Yes, well, we're not all like the older kooks who assume all Rangers are immediately filth," another dwarf spoke up from behind them, and she quickly turned to see Bofur along with some of the others walking up to them. "You don't seem to be that bad, lass."

"You don't seem to be that bad either, dwarf."

The dwarves laughed. Bofur walked up and held out his hand to Huntress, who took it roughly. "The name is Bofur, lass. It is a pleasure to be of acquaintance."

He gripped her hand and placed his mouth on it before letting it drop, shocking the Ranger briefly. Before the others could notice, she quickly masked a look of boredom at his attempt to flirt and knock her off her senses. "The pleasure is all mine, master dwarf."

The other dwarves that were surrounding us quickly made way to introduce themselves, probably feeling more at ease to be around her after seeing that Huntress hadn't attacked Bofur after all. She had quickly become acquainted with Bombur, Bofur's brother, Ori, the youngest of the Ri brothers, Nori, the middle Ri brother, and realized that this quest might not be as bad as she thought.

They seemed to be in awe of her horse, which was something she was quite used to. Mithril, an all-black quarter Meara, was indeed a stunning sight. She was far larger than the average horse but moved almost soundlessly from years of training with the Rangers. Mithril was indeed a sentient being as well and was quite stubborn with those she wasn't used to.

"All right, lads, it's time we head off," Balin spoke up as he walked out of the house, followed by the rest of the dwarves. Huntress wasn't completely shocked to see that Bilbo wasn't with them and doubted that they had even tried to wake up the Hobbit.

"Where is the burglar?" Fíli asked the others as he mounted his pony.

"The burglar will remain here, as it is for the best," Thorin spoke as he strode toward his own mount. "We needn't deal with those who are… unequipped for such endeavors." His deep, blue eyes looked into the grey eyes of Huntress as he said those last words.

She glared at him in defiance.

"He will come around, dear Huntress, you will see," Gandalf insisted from beside her, as he mounted his own steed. "It will just take time to get through the thick skull of his."

She let out a soft snort. "Either that or a beating, however, I suppose both would be necessary to make sure he gets the point."

"We move onward!" Thorin called from the front of the pack, and the journey began as we left the small homely hobbit hole and moved on to the unknown.

A spark of excitement went through the Huntress.

"I hardly doubt his companions would let you do such a thing."

She grinned. "Of course. But what's the fun in that?"

The wizard let out a groan. "You will be the death of me, I know it." Gandalf sighed. "At least, will you promise to try and be civil with Thorin Oakenshield? It would make matters much more difficult if you continue like this any longer."

Huntress shot him a look. "I suppose you haven't had a similar discussion with the Dwarf King?"

A sheepish grin passed onto Gandalf's face. "I was hoping you'd rather take the higher road, Lady Huntress. Maybe be the bigger person?"

She rolled her eyes. "I am not the bigger person, Gandalf. You can see that, he's much wider than I. Also, I won't be giving you any promises if he doesn't do the same. For now, let me deal with this, wizard."

Gandalf let out a groan, running a hand along his face. "The day I don't have to deal with the stubbornness of women or dwarves, is the day I will be dead. Valar have mercy."

"Glad to be of assistance, dear friend."

Before Gandalf could open his mouth to say anything else, Thorin called from the front of the company for the wizard, who looked happy to have a reason to leave Huntress's side for the moment. She waved him off and allowed herself to continue in silence.

Silence, it seemed, was meant to be disrupted.

"Oh, Fíli, look who we have here?"

"Oh, Kíli, who is it indeed?"

The two young dwarves rode up on both sides of the Dúndain, who was left to give a short prayer to the Valar for some patience. "Hello, master dwarves."

Kíli rolled his eyes at her statement. "You can call us by our names, you know."

Her grey eyes shifted to the dark-haired dwarf. "Obviously Fíli is correct in that you need to learn to be courteous."

He scowled back at her, leaving her half expecting him to stick out his tongue as well in retaliation. As Fíli tried to stifle his laughter in a few coughs. "You should try to learn courtesy as well, _Huntress_."

Fíli's laughter died away. "Kíli-"

"I mean, you won't even tell us your real name-"

"It is for personal reasons, and for the safety of those I care about that I do not share my name lightly, Kíli. I am sorry if you take this as me not being able to trust you, but we did indeed just meet last night. Please, give me time. That is all I ask."

The young dwarf nodded, lowering his gaze. "Of course."

Fíli looked between his brother and Huntress solemnly. "We don't want you to feel unwelcome, Lady Huntress. Forgive us, we just don't know what to make of a female ranger that happens to have mysteries to her mysteries."

Huntress shrugged. "I don't blame you. Either of you. There are just some things I don't like to talk about, that's all."

They nodded, and the mood quickly shift once they met eyes over Mithril's back, leaving Huntress caught in the middle. "Hey Fee!"

"Yes Kee?"

"Bet ya 10 gold coins that Bilbo shows up," Kíli goaded, a mischievous smirk planted on his face. Huntress couldn't help but think it belonged there.

Fíli rolled his eyes. "You're on, brother!"

"Aye," The dwarf named Gloin spoke. "There ain't no way the Halfling will show. Put me down for 10 coins as well, lad."

At the sound of that, all the other dwarves, besides Thorin Oakenshield himself, who must have been too kingly or to bet on such things anyway ended up placing their bets as to whether the hobbit will show up or not. The vast majority thought he wouldn't, but Huntress couldn't help herself.

"20 coins the Hobbit shows!" she announced, startling the dwarves that surrounded her.

"What was that, Huntress?" Gandalf asked, a sly smile crossing his features.

"Kíli, put me down for 20 coins the Hobbit shows up."

The dwarf in question looked at Huntress with wide brown eyes, and a slow smile started on his face. "Whatever you say, Lady Huntress."

Gandalf rode back next to Huntress and looked over at her with a small smirk. "What makes you place that bet, my Lady?"

"What made you place your bet, Wizard?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

Gandalf looked ahead in the direction of the Dwarf King, who was trading light conversation with Balin. "I think this quest will need someone like Bilbo Baggins if we are hoping to succeed."

She looked on at Thorin with hard eyes. "He has much to learn if we are to make it there alive, my friend," she spoke softly. "He is far too arrogant and stubborn… unwilling to take other opinions into question."

"Sounds like another person I know."

Huntress snapped her gaze toward the wizard. "What?"

The old kook wore a mischievous grin, and with a lift of an eyebrow he continued ahead of Huntress with ease. "Maybe you should start looking to yourself, my dear!"

She sat back in the saddle in befuddlement. Gandalf was starting to sound like Elrond... or worse: Halbarad. The last thing she needed was another Halbarad to be speaking in mysteries to her all the time.

"What's got your knickers in a wad, lassie?"

Huntress turned to look at Bofur with a wry grin. "How do you know I wear knickers, Master Bofur? Did you sneak a peek?"

Red started to splotch along the hatted dwarf's cheeks. "Well, I uh-"

The dwarves who were closest to Huntress, Fíli, Kíli, Ori, Bombur, and Nori, started laughing at the sake of their fellow man. "Aw, Bofur! Did ye like what ye saw?" Nori asked, clenching his gut in laughter.

"Shuddup!" Bofur exclaimed, reaching out and throwing an apple from his bag at the other dwarf.

Nori caught the apple with quick reflexes and took a bite of the fruit with a cheeky grin. "I bet ye liked it."

Huntress rolled her eyes at the dwarrow and had her horse pick up the pace to move away from the rascals. However, she found herself pinned in the spot by a look on the blonde dwarf, Fíli's face.

"What?"

He shrugged. "It's nothing."

She sighed. "No, really. What?"

"I just find it's odd that I've never met a woman or dwarrodam quite like you before. Most dwarrodams would've slayed Bofur where he'd stood if he'd talk to them like that," Fíli explained.

Huntress let out a laugh. "I could see that, yes. Well, I think it's rather obvious I'm not a dwarrodam, then?"

"Oh-Oh yes, Lady Huntress, anyone could see you are no dwarrodam," Ori interjected. Huntress couldn't help but think the slight stutter and flush on his cheeks added to his childish charm.

She quirked a smile. "Indeed so?"

The bookish dwarf twitched a little at the shoulders. "Well, uhm, you do not have a beard, my Lady, and all dwarvish lasses have beards," he explained hastily.

Kíli laughed behind her. "Only the beautiful ones."

"Aye, and what must that say about you, laddie?" Dwalin asked, if only to annoy the Huntress slightly. "You hardly have a beard yerself!"

She didn't need to turn around to know Kíli's face turned into a frown, having noticed Fíli tense up at her side. Beards were a sensitive topic to dwarves, especially dwarf males. The young dwarf's lack of beard must've been a hard topic for the late bloomer.

"I happen to find Kíli perfectly charming, Master Dwalin," Huntress commented. This seemed to shut everyone up in a second. A particular set of blue eyes glanced upon her from the front of the pack, making a shiver run down her spine. "The lad doesn't need a beard to be far more handsome than you."

This seemed to bring the dwarves back into good spirits, save for a few. _Ah, the older dwarves seem to still be stuck in their ways._

"Wait! Wait! I've signed it!" a voice called from behind the group.

Huntress let out a laugh at the dwarves who let out a few groans. "That's what you get for betting against our dear burglar, you lot!"

Gandalf made his way to the back of the group to greet the Hobbit. "Dear Huntress, you seem to be enjoying these changes of events."

She grinned. "Of course, I'm plenty richer because of it!"

Thorin moved back along to greet the hobbit himself, although his steely eyes latched on Bilbo with a look of disdain. "Ah, so it is the Burglar."

Bilbo nodded, looking up at the dwarf king with no small amount of courage. "Yes." He nodded, holding up the contract he received the night prior. "I've brought my contract, all signed and everything."

"That's 10 coins, brother," she heard Kíli whisper to his brother, and Fíli's groan in response.

"Fíli! Kíli! Get Master Baggins a pony, will you?" Thorin called, immediately whipping the two fools into shape and they hurried to follow the King's request.

"No-no, I, uh, I can walk," Bilbo disagreed, waving his hands in denial.

"Bilbo, I don't think you'll want to be walking as long as we're planning on going," Huntress called, smiling down at the hobbit softly. He seemed more at ease at the sight of a familiar friendly face.

"I'm not too sure about—woah!"

Fíli and Kíli lifted the hobbit up off his feet and onto the saddle of a pony. Bilbo looked so uncomfortable, but at the same time, so did the pony. It seemed to Huntress that neither were exactly comforted by the new conditions.

"Onward!" Thorin called, taking his lead. And just like that, they were once more on the move.

Bilbo let out a sneeze suddenly, continuing to hold the reigns at an awkward level. "Oh, dear! Stop! Everyone stop! We have to go back!"

Gandalf turned to look at the hobbit closely. "What seems to be the matter, Master Baggins?"

Bilbo looked down at his shirt, spattered with boogers in disdain. "I forgot my handkerchief," he explained, pointing to the spots sadly. "We need to go back!"

The surrounding dwarves simply laughed, and Huntress caught a roll of the eyes from Thorin himself. _Well, this is off to a lovely start, isn't it?_

"Here, use this!" Bofur called out to the hobbit, throwing a piece of his shirt back he had ripped off into a small square. "This should work just fine!"

Huntress let out a low laugh at the disgust on Bilbo's face as he caught the fabric and tucked it away reclusively. Yeah, this was going to be an interesting quest after all.


	6. the one with realizations

**Hi! Thanks for reading! I love all the support I've been given with this story—every comment, review, favorite, add, follow, etc. helps big time** **I am dealing with a major writer's block as my muse has left me for his very own spring break (going on three weeks, though). Yuck. Well, all the support I've gotten has allowed me to crank these chappies out and if you have any ideas about where you want things to go—let me know, I'll see if I could include it** **Happy reading!**

 **Ally Layne.**

 **The Revenge of a Huntress**

 **-the one with realizations-**

" _There were worse things than dying,_

 _And those worse things happened to_

 _The people you left behind."_

 _P. C. Cast_

Huntress and Gandalf rode on Bilbo Baggins' sides, careful to make sure that the Hobbit knew what he was doing as they continued their way. Both knew that he was new to riding a pony and neither wanted their Burglar to be hurt this soon into the journey, if at all.

The dwarves continued to ride on ahead, chattering on sometimes in their language that has been kept a secret from all others, excluding a few specific persons. Huntress was surely one of them.

From what she heard, they were placing bets on when Thorin will let his anger out on the Hobbit first. For some reason, that didn't rub the Ranger the right way at all. _Thorin won't be yelling at Bilbo as long as I'm still breathing._

"Did you all bet on if I showed up or not?" Bilbo asked.

The Hobbit was riding his pony, Myrtle, stiffly and holding the reigns with white knuckles. Huntress had never seen someone ride a pony so awkwardly, herself. And she grew up riding and had seen many different failed attempts at others trying to get accustomed to their horse.

"Of course," Huntress said. "We are with dwarves, Bilbo. It is to be expected."

He glanced around him quickly, letting out a half-hearted laugh. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"A real hearty bunch, are they not?" Gandalf asked. He took a few puffs of his pipe as he leaned back on the saddle and gazed upon his companions. "It will surely make for an interesting journey."

Huntress nodded in agreement.

After an hour of making sure Bilbo was comfortable enough to ride without an accident, Huntress made her way back to the pair of brothers that made her feel like she was back at home with her niece and nephew. They reminded her so much of her dear Aragorn and Aranelle, even down to the way they bickered.

"What are you two doing, now?" she asked, as she rode in between them with a lazy grin.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kíli flirted, leaving Fíli to throw him a look.

"Actually, I would."

Fíli grinned. "We were just discussing your little brawl with Dwalin, last night. How did you come to fight like that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

The brothers rolled their eyes in unison, which was oddly not the weirdest thing she's seen.

"Yes, we would," Kíli confirmed.

She shrugged. "It's a ranger's secret."

They gapped. "You lie!" Kíli exclaimed.

Huntress laughed, and their shock turned into annoyance. "You're such a sneak," Fíli scolded.

She chose to ignore the blonde dwarf. "Actually, I learned at a very young age. I was taught by elves."

" _Elves_?" They asked.

She nodded. "Elves."

"But-How? Why?" Kíli seemed flustered.

"Lord Elrond raised my brother and I from infancy," she explained. "I learned many things up until the age of twenty when our father passed, and we left to go learn the ways of our kin."

The brothers sobered. "I am sorry to hear about your father," Fíli acknowledged.

Huntress grit her teeth. "It is fine. I did not know him."

"Oh."

"He left my brother, Arathorn, and I with the Elf Lord when our mother passed during childbirth. His love for the trees overcame his love for his own children, it seems."

They rode in silence for a few minutes.

"We lost our father when we were dwarflings," Kíli spoke. Huntress looked to him in question. "He was killed in battle when we were young. Our mother and uncle raised us."

She gave them a sad smile. "I am sorry to hear that. You have my sympathies."

They nodded to the ranger, and grim expressions passed upon their young faces, which made the Huntress sigh to herself. It was always difficult when you are the one left behind.

They didn't speak for the rest of the ride. They didn't have to, as they found themselves lost in thoughts of what could have been.

Time went on as the company of Thorin Oakenshield made their way through the forests, and soon night was upon them. Thorin immediately called for the company to make camp for the night, and soon the dwarves started to unload and make themselves at home.

It amazed Huntress how quickly they all moved together, as if they had been doing this for far longer than a mere day. Thorin sent Gloin, Oin, and Bofur out to make a fire, first, then had Fíli and Kíli wrangle up the ponies and make sure they were fed and ready for the night.

Ori quickly opened up a journal and started writing things down, while Thorin, Dwalin, and Balin formed a small huddle and started discussing different things. Huntress figured they were covering different things about the quest, as the three were seen as the top-dwarves in charge.

She held in a laugh when she noticed Gandalf off by himself, smoking his pipe, and ignoring the others altogether. _Typical isolationist traveler._

Bilbo obviously didn't get the message that the wizard wanted to have some alone time and perched himself next to him and got out his own pipe.

Huntress let herself laugh quietly at the look on Gandalf's face when he noticed the Hobbit's presence.

Deciding to make herself busy, Huntress quickly followed Bombur who was deemed the cook of the company. least Bombur didn't seem to have any problems with her, yet.

"Do you need any help, Master Bombur?"

The well rounded, red-haired dwarf looked at her in surprise. "Why yes, of course Lady Huntress! Here, you can peel the potatoes, and I will start on the broth."

The dwarf handed her a sack of potatoes with a kind smile, and she quickly got herself to work. Peeling the potatoes was not a hard task, and something that she had found herself doing quite often for the cooks in her village.

"You know what you're doing, lassie?"

Huntress looked up from the peelings to see Gloin peering down at her with a stony glare. "Of course, Master Dwarf."

He looked down at the peelings that she had been catching on a piece of cloth she fished from her bag. "Why're you doing that? Bombur, is she supposed to be wastin' a bit of cloth?"

She tried to hide the roll of her eyes.

"Lassie, what're you doing there?" Bombur asked.

She smiled slightly at the kindly asked question. "I'm saving these peelings to roast later. The skins taste nicely when cooked and it is best not to let things go to waste."

"Aye," Nori spoke. "I've even eaten 'em in my own soup before!"

Dori looked to his brother in disdain. "I've never cooked you that!"

"I ken feed myself, ye know!"

The two brothers started bickering with each other while Huntress looked up at the disgruntled Gloin pointedly. "You do not have to eat what I make, Master Dwarf, but do not judge those who do."

Gloin looked at her in silent fury. "You shouldn't make a mockery of me, lassie-"

"Gloin, that is enough," Balin spoke as he walked over to them. "Lady Huntress is merely doing her best to help Bombur, and I don't think that you should be trying to find something wrong with what she does."

The older dwarf gave off a calm countenance that even Gloin couldn't ignore. "Aye," he acknowledged to his elder. However, his glare remained when he turned to Huntress. "Just don't mess up, lassie."

She did her best to ignore him when he stalked away. "That was rude."

Bombur and Balin laughed. "Aye, lassie. That was rude, indeed. I will apologize for the behavior of some of the others, especially before we get to know you." When Balin spoke, his eyes turned to the Dwarf King and his brother. "Especially the behavior of some of us."

Huntress chuckled as she started cutting the potatoes into tiny pieces then tossed them in the pot Bombur had packed. "Let me guess: you're apologizing for Thorin and Dwalin?"

The old dwarf had a twinkle in his eye. "I don't know what you're talking 'bout, lassie. But if I did, would I admit it?"

They shared a smile.

After dinner, which was delicious, Huntress noted, she found herself sitting in between the two younger brothers of the company. Fíli and Kíli. It was then that she noted that there was something about them that seemed really familiar. Particularly, Fíli's eyes and Kíli's appearance.

"Why are you so short?" Kíli suddenly asked.

Huntress blinked. "What?"

Fíli hit his brother in the arm, hard. "Owe, Fee! I was just curious!"

"Then be curious somewhere else!"

Huntress let out a small laugh. "It is perfectly fine, Fíli. Your brother can be curious. However, it may do him some good to learn how to frame his questions a bit better."

A few other dwarves that surrounded the trio joined in on the laughter, to Kíli's disappointment.

"He does have a point, though," Bofur admitted. "You're rather short for a Dúndan, Lady Huntress."

The others nodded, including Bilbo who made his way to their little group.

"I've read that the Dúndain are usually over six feet in height, my Lady," Ori pointed out.

"And you're barely five," Kíli finished.

She crossed her arms. "Are you saying being short is a bad thing?"

The dwarves and Hobbit immediately started speaking over each other to try and convince her differently.

"No, I'm not even five feet meself!" Nori.

"You're perfectly fine, don't worry-" Ori.

"Don't twist my words!" Kíli.

"Don't listen to my brother, Huntress-" Fíli

The voices continued until one sounded above them all.

"Quiet!"

 _I was wondering when he'd show up and put a stop to all the fun._

Thorin Oakenshield walked up to the small group with a sneer on his face. Even though it looked rather attractive on the dwarf, she figured that there was no reason to be upset with them. At least, not _too_ upset.

 _We have been causing a lot of noise…_

"Why in Mahal's name are you yelling? You'll attract the beasts from miles away?"

Fíli cleared his throat. "Uncle, we were merely discussing the fact that even though Lady Huntress is a Dúndan, she is only but five feet in length."

We all nodded along. _Wait a second, did he say-_

"It may have gotten out of hand, but we will not make this mistake again, Uncle Thorin," Kíli concluded.

 _Uncle._

 _Thorin Oakenshield is their uncle._

 _That means…_

"And why are you?"

It took a few seconds for Huntress to realize that the Dwarf King's attention had turned to her. She quickly looked up at him in shock, meeting his questioning stare.

"Why am I what?"

Annoyance flickered on his face. "Why are you so short, Dúndan Woman?"

"I was a sick child," she explained.

Thorin doubled back in shock. "Sick?"

She nodded, and suddenly it was as if they were the only ones there. "Sick. I contracted a few different illnesses that had me bedridden for much of my childhood. Healers believed that is what kept me from growing, so now I am permanently stuck at this height."

He nodded, and a look of what Huntress thought may be sympathy passed over his features. "That must have been difficult. I often forget how lucky dwarves are that we do not get sick so often."

 _Am I really having an actually decent conversation with Thorin Oakenshield, right now?_

All she could do was nod and try to hide her shock.

"Your parents must have been wrought with worry," Thorin continued. She noticed the sly grin that Balin wore across the camp. He must have told the King to be nice. _Meddler._

"I did not grow up with parents," Huntress spoke. "I was raised with my brother at Lord Elrond's halls. That is where I met our favorite wizard as well."

A dark shadow passed upon Thorin's face. "Elves?"

She cursed to herself. _I should know better than to mention elves to the King of Erebor!_ "Yes, Oakenshield. Elves."

He whipped out his blade and pointed it at the Ranger who immediately armed herself with her knives. "You are a traitor!"

The dwarves surrounding them immediately armed themselves as well. "Thorin, calm down-" Gandalf spoke, hurrying over to put a stop to this madness.

"She was raised by our enemy! I will not stand down!"

"Lord Elrond is not your enemy!" Huntress exclaimed, standing up to be equal to the Dwarf King.

"All elves are my enemy!"

"No, they are not!"

"You did not watch as they left my people to die by dragon fire!"

Huntress let out a dark, unfeeling laugh. "Those elves are not the ones that I was raised with. You do not realize how idiotic you are making yourself sound, Oakenshield!"

The Dwarf King was seething in anger. "All elves are the same!"

She threw her knives into the ground once she realized she wasn't really in any danger from him. "Are all dwarves the same?"

His grasp on his sword tightened. Suddenly the Ranger questioned herself as to whether she made the right move or not. _Would he really try to strike me down?_

Their eyes were locked, and something inside of her recognized the depths of pain and anger that she saw every time she looked in the mirror. Oakenshield has lost much, and now it seems that he doesn't know the difference between friend or foe.

Suddenly, his grip stilled, and he stabbed the sword in the ground. "Dwarves are not all the same," he said. "But elves are not dwarves. They would leave us to rot, just as they did before. And you, Lady Huntress, would do the same."

With an air of dramatics, the Dwarf King wrenched his sword out from the ground and turned then stalked away quickly deeper into the woods. Huntress sighed.

Thorin Oakenshield was going to be the death of her. She just knew it.


	7. the one with Bree Town

**Hi there! Thanks for reading! I really appreciate all of the love and support y'all have been giving me! I hope you guys like it, and let me know what you think—review, private message, etc. and let me know what you like! (that way so I can build upon it) AND thank you to those who have followed the story, liked the story, and those who have followed me because of this. YOU ARE THE BEST!  
Special thanks to Jo and Christmas 95 for the reviews**

 **Cheers!**

 **Ally Layne.**

 **The Revenge of the Huntress**

 **-the one with Bree town-**

" _All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust."_ _  
_ _―_ _ **J.M. Barrie,**_ _Peter Pan_

Huntress was going to be lucky if she didn't kill anyone. Namely, anyone named Thorin Oakenshield. After his insistence that she was a traitor the night before, she decided that it would be best if she were to avoid him for as long as she possibly could.

Hopefully, then she wouldn't give in to the urge to gut him where he stood.

It would be a shame to have to do that to someone who was as handsome as the Dwarf King, but she figured that she'd done worse to others who were also blessed with good looks.

So, instead of dealing with the rage of Oakenshield, she decided to dote on the pleasures that his nephews brought her.

And boy, did they bring her the greatest delight. Although, most of the delight that she was feeling probably came from the harsh glares that Oakenshield was giving her every time he glanced back at the three of them. For some reason, Huntress guessed that he didn't like her getting chummy with his nephews.

So, she decided it was her personal goal to get as close with them as possible, just to see how mad she could make him.

"What was it like growing up with Thorin as your uncle?" she asked.

Fíli and Kíli shared a look, and something mischievous passed between the two Dwarven Princes.

"He mostly made me learn how to be him in the future," Fíli admitted. "I've always been stuck going to different council meetings in the Blue Mountains, while Kee has been able to flounce about and do whatever he wants!"

Kíli glared at his brother. "I do _not_ flounce!"

"Aye, brother! You strut!"

Huntress laughed with Fíli at the pout that sat on Kíli's face. "You're just jealous that I don't have to deal with all the boring stuff. And I'm the one that gets all the ladies."

"I am sure you do, Kíli," Huntress soothed. "And Fíli, I am sure you do a marvelous job while sitting through boring council meetings."

"Do you ever have to deal with boring council meetings, Lady Huntress?" Fíli asked.

"Not really. The council meetings that I get to attend are anything but boring. The Dúndain people certainly know how to make things interesting."

The young dwarves' eyes brightened. "How so?" Kíli questioned.

Huntress let out a chime of laughter. "I have to settle a lot of land disputes, but every meeting I also have to deal with some sort of issue pertaining to the local bears."

"Bears?"

"The brown bears are native to our land, which means we often have a run in every once in a while with someone and a bear. Bears have paws the size of your uncle's face and claws the size of my hands. They can do great harm to those who are caught unaware."

The princes looked at her in shock. "Has anyone ever been killed by a bear?"

"Unfortunately, yes. We do not like to hunt bears, as they are wonderful creatures when handled with caution. A few years ago, a young Dúndanling was mauled by a bear when she wandered off too far from the village. Her parents called for the killing of the local bears, but I disagreed. It was a tragedy, yes, but we did not need to mercilessly kill the animals who had done no wrong."

"But don't Rangers kill… people? Why are bears any different?" Fíli asked.

Huntress let out a breath at this but bit back a quick remark that hung on her tongue. "The Northern Rangers do not kill mercilessly. We only kill when necessary. We don't kill animals that we don't need to feed on, and we don't kill others who have done no wrong."

The two princes looked at her with slightly wide eyes. She figured she had probably been a bit harsh with her tone, but she didn't take well to the underlying accusations.

Yet, a twang of realization seemed to ring through her.

Ever since Arathorn died, the lines between right and wrong have blurred immensely.

To a certain extent, she knew she didn't share the whole truth to the princes. Sometimes, Huntress killed those who did not truly need to die. But in her eyes, there was no other way.

 _I have made the right choices._ She reassured herself. _They're young. They've never had to decide between life or death in their lives._

The rest of the ride to Bree was quick and painless. After the deep discussion with the two Dwarf Princes, she decided to lay low for the rest of the day and try not to draw too much attention to herself. Se had much to think about.

Bilbo was slowly growing more confident behind the reins of Myrtle, but Huntress had to put an emphasis on the word _slowly._ At least he wasn't gripping the reins as hard as the day before.

It was nearing nightfall by the time they arrived at the Prancing Pony, where the dwarves decided to stop in order to have a few stiff drinks. To her surprise, Thorin had agreed to do this, even though Huntress thought his no-funny-business demeanor wouldn't allow it.

Yet, here she was, sitting at a booth in the corner of the pub, surrounded by dwarves who were loudly eating and drinking ale. She figured there wasn't any other way that dwarves did things.

Huntress made sure to keep the hood of her cloak up, just as it was the day she met Gandalf here nearly a month ago. She was seated between Bilbo and Kíli, who made sure there was a spot next to him for her.

Even some of the older dwarves seemed to be getting a kick out of their enjoyment. "I've discovered the quickest way to a dam's heart is the length of your-"

 _Too much information-_

"Beard!" Dwalin exclaimed, slamming his ale down on the table jovially. The dwarves sounded with laughter, while Huntress noticed from the corner of her eye that Kíli was feeling his lack of beard with disdain.

A quick glance in the other direction and Huntress saw Bilbo roll his eyes at the older dwarf. Maybe the Hobbit wasn't as lonely as she initially thought…

"My Gerda loves my beard," Gloin gushed, before taking another swig of his ale.

"We all know there's a reason why Bombur's got so many dwarflings!" Bofur laughed, tossing his head back joyfully. "And let's just say it's not just because of his cooking!"

Huntress let out a chuckle. She noticed Kíli was still looking a little glum and figured that his lack of beard was a bit of a sore spot for the dwarf.

"Beards aren't the only thing a lady likes," Huntress commented, before taking a sip of her own ale.

"Oh yeah?" Bofur asked, giving Huntress what he must have thought to be a sultry gaze. It looked more like he was constipated, in her opinion.

She nodded. "A _real_ lady likes it when you know how to treat her right."

The dwarves that were listening immediately groaned. "But that's _boring,_ lassie!" Nori exclaimed.

She shrugged. "It's not that boring if she does the same for you."

Huntress grinned mischievously as their eyes widened slowly as they caught on. Then, they burst out into laughter.

"Why, lassie, never knew you had it in ya!" Bofur guffawed.

"Nice choice of words, Bofur!" Fíli laughed, slapping the other dwarf on the back.

She snuck a look at Kíli next to her who looked far happier than he did before. She knew it was hard to be a late bloomer, and she didn't want the others to hold it against the poor dwarf.

"Another round on me!" Dwalin called out, lifting his glass high in the air. The others followed his lead and they cheered joyously.

The War General hopped out of the booth and made his way to the bar to order the next round of drinks. Huntress noticed the eyes that shifted with him uneasily, and something inside of her prickled a bit.

She wasn't the only one that noticed, either.

Thorin Oakenshield was looking at the other patrons at the pub with an eye of disdain, and Balin simply watched knowingly. She was immediately reminded that Thorin had spent time working in towns with humans and realized that he must have been used to such things.

"It didn't cost this much last round we had!" Dwalin yelled, glaring at the bartender. Huntress bristled.

"Yes, well, we had to add a few more coins to cover the cost of the glasses that you'll most likely break. We know what kind of things your kind does when you get drunk," the bartender spoke, crossing his arms. The man, who she believed was named Sam, sounded like a real jerk.

"My _kind_ dinnae do anythin."

The warrior's change of tone shocked the Ranger, who immediately stood and started to make her way to the bar to ease the collateral. She knew these people, maybe she'd be able to be of service.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed she wasn't the only one to stand up and ease out of the booth and was immediately joined with Thorin Oakenshield as they made their way to help Dwalin.

Not that she particularly liked Dwalin or anything. But if the jerk insulted one dwarf, he insulted all of them, and she had made friends with a few of the other dwarves. She owed them enough to handle this.

Besides, being a Northern Ranger meant protecting the free peoples of Arda, and last time she checked the dwarves were a free people.

"Sam!" She yelled, stalking up to where he was bickering with the dwarf.

The bartender's eyes widened as he looked up and saw her approach. "L-Lady Huntress?"

She flicked off the hood, which hid her face from the others, and stood there with a cold-hearted glare. "What in Arda do you think you're doing, Sam?"

The man stood there in confusion. "I-I was just-"

Huntress shook her head. "No, let me tell you what you were doing. You were knowingly using these dwarves to get an extra bit of coin, weren't you? And you knew no one would say anything because they're dwarves, and therefore filth, correct?"

She didn't have to look at them to know all the dwarves immediately stiffened.

"Look, I'm just tryna run a business here-"

Huntress grabbed the front of his shirt menacingly and brought him down to her height. "You don't get to discriminate against anyone, got it? If I ever hear of you doing such a thing again, I'll take care of you personally, Sammy-boy. Nod if you understand."

He nodded, his face pale and clammy.

"Now, you're going to give us another round of ale on the house, and you're not going to complain. Understood?"

He nodded again.

Huntress let his shirt go with a thin smile and smoothened out the wrinkles that her hands made. "Good. Now go get us that ale."

He immediately turned away from the huntress and started filling up more glasses behind the bar.

"You didn't need to do that, lassie. I had it handled," Dwalin told her, his voice still seething with anger.

Huntress turned to look at him in surprise. "Yeah, because you getting in a brawl with the bartender was going to be a good thing."

Thorin looked between the two with pursed lips. "Yet, how did I meet the two of you at the beginning of this journey?" he asked.

Dwalin and Huntress immediately sobered.

"Yeah, well-"

"C'mon Thorin, you know-"

Thorin cut them off with a wave of his hand. "But I also won't disregard what she did for us, Dwalin." He turned to Huntress. "Thank you for dealing with that _kakhuf inbarathrag_ 1."

Dwalin chuckled, leaving Huntress confused as to what the Dwarf King referred to. "You're welcome?"

Thorin nodded, grabbed a few glasses of ale that Sam had already poured up, and walked back to the table to serve his people.

"Next time, lassie, don't intervene. I had it handled," Dwalin spoke, walking around her to grab more glasses and follow after Thorin. "I don't need a lady like you to fix my problems!"

"Well, alright then."

Huntress grabbed the rest of the glasses and brought them to the table where the dwarves were reenacting what she had done to the poor bartender. She handed the glasses to Bilbo, the princes, and Ori before taking a seat, and laughing along with the rest of them.

When they started to settle down and everyone was ready to head out to find lodgings for the night, Huntress and Gandalf shared a look.

"Thorin, there is a place where we do not have to pay to spend our evening," Gandalf informed him. "We will be perfectly safe there."

"Where is this place?" Thorin asked.

Huntress mounted her horse, who had been loitering outside the pub. "I can show you the way, Oakenshield. It is only a few minutes through the town."

"Is it indeed safe, wizard?"

Huntress tried to hide the roll of her eyes while Gandalf nodded. "It is, Master Dwarf. We best be on our way now."

Huntress led them to the home that she had built, and where she knew Halbarad had taken the women she saved a few days earlier. Gandalf was smart, and he didn't tell them they were going to her home, knowing that a few dwarves, in particular, would want nothing to do with it if they knew.

So, they didn't tell them.

"What is this place?" Thorin asked as the house was in their view. "Who lives here?"

Huntress just smiled slyly. "You will see, Master Dwarf."

He grumbled and quickly turned to speak with Balin in Khuzdul. His raven black hair followed him in an arc, and for not the first time Huntress found herself wondering what it would feel like.

"Do you know who lives here, Lady Huntress?" Dori asked. He had been far kinder to her after what she had said at the pub, which was the same for all the dwarves except Thorin and Dwalin. Even Gloin was starting to warm up to her.

She nodded. "I do, Master Dori."

"Will there be food?" She heard Kíli ask behind her. "I'm starving."

A smile flickered on her face from the smacking sound. "Kee, don't be a fool."

"Don't hit me, Fee!"

Huntress quickly hopped off Mithril and the others followed suit. "There are stables in the back for the ponies, and please take off your boots before entering the house. I would rather not you track horse shit throughout the home."

"You seem to know an awful lot about this place," Fíli pointed out.

She nodded, then turned to bring Mithril to her stables. "Remember this place, girl?"

The horse snorted, and she let out a laugh. Mithril remembered where her stable was and walked there to get some rest without Huntress having to guide her the entire way. After hanging up the saddles, she quickly made her way back into the home, unlocking the wooden door.

The faint scent of pine and cinnamon flowed through her, and she slowly walked around the massive space that greeted her.

She was so caught in the memories that she didn't even notice as someone else walked in behind her.

"Who is this?" a small voice of a Hobbit asked, pointing to a drawing that hung by the entrance.

"That, my dear Hobbit, is my brother and me many years ago." It was a picture of a younger version of her and Arathorn, drawn by an elf at Lord Elrond's request. Bilbo looked up at her, and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Is this your home?"

She sighed, looking at the vast lodgings in front of her. "This is not my home, but merely a place I own."

 **Translations**

 _kakhuf inbarathrag:_ goat turd


	8. the one with a home

**Hi readers! Thanks for checking this story out! I've been busy dealing with two dogs in a small apartment for the past few days, so writing has been a necessity if I want to keep my sanity when dealing with Thing 1 and Thing 2. Thank you to those who have liked, reviewed, followed this story, favorited this story, and messaged me. It makes a world of a difference!**

 **Special thanks to Jo and Christmas 95 for the reviews**

 **Cheers!**

 **Ally.**

 **The Revenge of the Huntress**

 **-the one with a home-**

 _Where we love is home-_

 _Home that our feet may leave,_

 _But not our hearts._

 _-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr._

" _Thelle, you need to go!"_

 _This can't be happening._

" _I cannot leave you!"_

 _An arrow had gone through his gut. A slow and painful death._

" _You must! Aragorn is our hope, sister, and Aranelle is the light to guide the way. They need you, so please, get them to safety!"_

" _They need you, you are their father!"_

 _Her brother looked at her, his grey eyes gleaming with tears. "I am done for, you know that. I love you, sister. Now, I order you—go!"_

 _Lines of liquid salt cascaded down her face. "I love you."_

 _A small smile came upon his lips. "More than all the stars in the sky."_

 _She wept, a sob catching in her throat. "Farwell, brother."_

 _Before she could turn, an arrow whistled past her shoulder, and found itself struck in his eye. He was dead before his body even hit the ground._

 _She screamed._

 _The white orc had shot him. The white orc killed Arathorn._

"What do you mean, this is just a place you own?" A voice from behind her asked.

"I meant what I said." Huntress didn't bother turning to face Thorin, who had walked through the door. "It is not my home, anymore. However, this place is safe to stay, so don't worry."

She kept her eyes on the picture that Bilbo had handed her—the one of her and Arathorn. It seemed like a lifetime ago when they were together and happy. It had seemed like it was them against the world, and they were going to be the ones to bring their family back home.

But they didn't.

Arathorn didn't.

Their eyes were the same. Both grey, not a dark grey, like an evening storm, but silver. His hair was dark, wavy, and out of control. Huntress remembered that he could never find a way to neatly do it, much to his wife's, Gilraen's, undoing. Her hair was not curly like his and could neatly be held back. The Valar must have had pity on her, she guessed.

"Who is that?" The Dwarf King asked.

Bilbo answered for her. "It is her brother, apparently."

She felt the power radiating off Gandalf before she saw him in her peripheral as he glanced down at the drawing in her hands. "Whoever drew this caught the likeness of your brother perfectly," he commented.

Huntress nodded breathlessly. "I almost forgot what he looked like."

Gandalf's eyes were soft as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "He was a great man."

She snorted. "Yes, but he was also quite stupid at times, too."

He chuckled, which was echoed by others in the room. "Aren't we all?"

Huntress let out a soft sigh, placing the drawing back onto the mantle where Bilbo found it. She turned to face the others, plastering a soft smile on her face. Her eyes, however, spoke differently. "Welcome, Thorin's Company, to the Northern Ranger's safe-house. We will be safe here, and we should make sure to get a good night's rest."

She noticed the others were looking around the house with wide eyes. Huntress was suddenly glad that she didn't come here much and didn't have a lot of keepsakes that they could get their hands on.

"You live here?" Kíli asked.

Huntress shook her head. "Not since my brother was alive. Now, it is open to all the Northern Rangers, not just I."

The dwarves nodded and made their way into the house, probably to find whatever food and ale they could. Thorin, Bilbo, Gandalf, and Balin loitered behind. "Thank you for letting us take refuge here, Lady Huntress," Balin spoke, sweeping low into a bow.

She smiled at the dwarf. "It is my pleasure, Master Balin. Please, make yourself at home."

He simply winked and walked off, leaving the Ranger to try and hide a laugh in his wake. "Well, I suppose I will make sure the dwarves aren't making a complete mess of your quarters, Lady Huntress," Gandalf commented, looking at her with a mischievous look in his eye. He glanced at Thorin quickly before grabbing the Hobbit's arm. "Come now, Bilbo, let us go help the others."

"Woah-what?" The hobbit remarked as he was being pulled off. "But I was going to-"

"We're going to help the others, Master Baggins. Come along."

Bilbo looked to Huntress helplessly, and she laughed. "I will be right behind you, Master Baggins."

"Don't leave me with them!" He called as he was dragged around a corner, and into the kitchen.

Thorin looked at her curiously. "May I ask what the halfling meant?"

She shrugged. "I am not sure myself, Oakenshield. Maybe he is terrified of dwarves? He has a good reason to be, especially when you call him a _halfling_."

A small grin made its way onto his tanned skin. "Well, isn't that what he is?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "Hobbits aren't half anything, Mr. _King_. I've had my fair share of business with hobbits of the Shire, and all are seemingly proud to note they are full-blooded children of Yavanna herself."

"I am sure they are," Thorin agreed. "But I doubt that this quest is any place for a hobbit like Master Baggins. Even you must see he is in over his head."

"I happen to think we are _all_ in over our heads, Master Oakenshield. However, I like to think the best of others before I make judgments such as that."

"Didn't you just contradict your point?"

"I answered your question. You never said I had to make any sense."

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't know I would have to make that sentiment clear."

"You'd be surprised."

The dwarf chuckled and turned to look at the mantle for a moment, taking in a glimpse of the drawing that leaned there. "You must miss your brother."

Huntress immediately sobered, running a hand along her dark braid. "Every day."

"I miss my brother as well."

Her eyes snapped to look at him curiously. "You've lost a brother?"

Thorin looked to her out of the corner of his eyes solemnly, before turning back to stare at the drawing in front of him with a strained composure. "Yes. His name was Frerin, and he was my younger brother—he was killed in the Battle of Azanulbizar."

"The Battle of Nanduhirion," she breathed.

The Dwarf King nodded. "Yes. Many dwarves lost their lives, and my own family was destroyed that day. Fíli and Kíli lost their father, my sister a husband, I a brother, father, and grandfather. My grandfather's head rolled by the hands of Azog, the Defiler. It was a tragedy."

Huntress didn't know how to react and stood there gaping at Thorin with wide eyes. "I had no idea…"

He shrugged slightly. "Us dwarves do not share information lightly. It is not a surprise you have never heard." He turned to look at her, as something snapped in his mind. "But it is a surprise my father never mentioned it."

She nodded, thinking back to when Thrain had visited this very safe-house many years ago, back when Arathorn was still alive. "He spoke mostly with my brother and very little to me. I was working a mission when your father lived here."

Thorin started. "Here? As in this cabin, here?"

"Yes, well, this is the safe house of the Rangers."

The dwarf nodded with a new glow of understanding in his blue eyes. "It seems that I owe you my thanks, Lady Huntress."

"What for?"

He smirked. "Well, certainly not for allowing dwarves who called you unspeakable names mere days before to have safe lodgings. Or, surely not for allowing the father of a dwarf to have safety when he most dearly needed it."

She laughed softly, rubbing a hand behind her neck. "I wasn't the one who housed your father, Thorin. My brother was the one-"

"Yet you are the one who has allowed us to spend the night, days after scrapping with our War General."

"It's nothing-"

He placed a hand on her arm, shaking his head. "No, it is everything. Thank you, Lady Huntress. From the bottom of my heart." He placed a hand on his chest. "I am glad to have you along for the journey."

She placed a smaller hand on his own. "I am glad to be here on the journey, Oakenshield. It is my pleasure to accompany you and take back your home."

A grin slowly etched its way on his face. "It means much to hear you speak that, Lady Ranger."

Huntress noticed his eyes were big and blue, and so open and wholesome that she couldn't help but want to get lost in them for ages. Yet, something held her back. _What are you thinking?_

She took a step away with a small cough. "We should go make sure your kin aren't burning this place to the ground."

His smile weakened. "Of course, I will let you lead the way."

The Huntress quickly turned on her heal and walked out of the room, hoping to leave the light feeling she had felt while looking into the King's eyes there with it. Yet, unfortunately for her, the feeling didn't leave.

It was only growing stronger.

"Ah, there they are," Gandalf announced as the two walked into the dining hall. "We were wondering where you had gone off to."

"I was just discussing the safety parameters of the property," Huntress lied, flicking a strand of hair away from her eyes.

Thorin nodded along with her.

"Bull shit," Bofur whispered loudly, making Huntress go rigid. "They were probably-"

"Bofur, if you still want that tongue of yours, I'd shut up if I were you."

He looked to the Huntress, feigning shock. "I was just going to say you were talking about the battles yeh fought, but I 'spose I could have said-"

" _Itkit!_ " Thorin shouted, and in response, the hall fell silent. Huntress could only imagine what he had said.

 _I really need to figure out how to speak Khuzdul._

She nodded in her thanks to Thorin, who smiled lowly at her, before heading off to sit beside Dwalin and Balin at the head of the table. Huntress decided she would just linger in the shadows. They felt more comfortable to her than having to be the attention of the room if she had sat with them.

And Valar forbid if someone made another comment about her and Thorin Oakenshield…

The dwarves soon changed the subject and started up on something about the various dams that were beautiful and talking about the various Ladies that the poor princes had been subjected to by their "duties."

"I'm tellin' ya, Lady Amalla has eyes for you, Kíli," Fíli spoke, nudging his brother with an elbow. Huntress let out a little giggle at Kíli's wide brown eyes.

"What?"

"Oh yeah, lad, she's got it _bad_!" Bofur tagged in, chuckling mercilessly into his ale. "You better watch yourself boy, she's quite the cougar!"

"And how would _ye_ know?" Nori asked after taking a swig of his own ale.

"Ya Bofur, how'd ya know?" Bombur asked his brother cheekily.

Bifur must have repeated the question, but Huntress couldn't tell as he was only able to speak in Khuzdul. Another reason why she really needs to learn the language, apparently.

The dwarf in question simply waggled his eyebrows before taking another sip.

The other dwarves hooted at his insinuation, and Huntress had to cover her mouth at the scandalized shock that was now plastered on Kíli's face. He almost reminded her of a hurt puppy.

"Uh… Lady Huntress?" a soft voice from her side asked.

She jumped in shock, unaware that someone had even made it close enough without her hearing them. "Yes, Ori?"

The young dwarf next to her looked up bashfully. "I-I was wondering if… uh, you could tell me more about the Dúnedain? I mean, not many know about your people and as a scribe, I guess I'd-"

She placed a soft hand on his shoulder. "I'd love to tell you about my people, Master Ori."

He flushed up to his ears in excitement. "Really? Oh, that's great! Thank you, Lady Huntress, really!"

Huntress grinned. "It's my pleasure. I can actually show you to our library-"

"You have a _library_?" Another voice chimed in.

She looked to her other side, seeing Bilbo standing there with his hands on his suspenders. "Yes, it's where my people keep our information and history. This is the epicenter of the Rangers, and as the Chieftain of the Dúnedain as well, it is my duty to keep our codices."

Huntress was pleased to have felt Gandalf's presence before she heard him speak. "She is telling you the truth, young ones. Perhaps you should show Master Ori and Master Baggins to the library, Lady Huntress? They may appreciate the company of your various texts as opposed to this drunken stupor."

She laughed at the wizard's bluntness. "Very well. Come along, I'll show you to my favorite room in the house."

Huntress said goodbye to Gandalf, who told her he'd make sure the others didn't ruin the place and made her way out of the hall to go to the library. What she didn't notice, however, were the two blue eyes that stared after her as she left.

She led them to a small alcove on the second floor of the home and placed a hand on the right side of the wall lightly before turning to face the other two with her. "What are we doing?" Bilbo asked, looking around the hall for a door. "There's nothing here."

Huntress smirked and pressed her hand more firmly into the wall, causing a few clicks to be heard and the wall open into a secret chamber ahead. "Do you really think we wouldn't have our important materials more carefully hidden, Master Hobbit?"

"I-uh-well, no, but-"

She laughed. "It's fine, don't worry, Bilbo. You're not the first to react in that manner."

Ori, on the other hand, looked like he was close to physically restraining himself from running headlong into the room. So, like any gracious host, she showed them inside.

The library was full of different pieces of papyrus, scrolls, books, and various texts that she knew would entrance the two bookworms. There were cases along the walls, and various long tables that made up the room with a few massive chairs and a grand fireplace on the wall across from them. It looked far grander than any room in the house, and she guessed it was because it was the most well preserved… and her favorite, of course.

"Welcome to the library of the Dúnedain," she spoke, opening her arms wide for the guests. "Feel free to look at anything, as long as you put it back."

They nodded, although their eyes were glazed over. The Huntress had to hide her laughter with a few light coughs. "I'll just be working on some reports my second has left me over there," she told them, pointing to the table farthest away from them. There were a few different chairs at that table, which was used for more conferencing of sorts.

As soon as they made their ways to look around, Huntress headed over to see what Halbarad had left her.

There were various notes and letters from other Rangers that had checked in on the human trafficking issue they were working on, and a few notes from the women she had helped that day as well.

" _If you ever find yourself in need of anything, please do not hesitate to ask. I work as a seamstress and-"_

" _My father will be able to reward you for your efforts-"_

" _Thank you, Huntress, for your valiant efforts-"_

" _I owe you my life."_

She went through the various letters the women had left for her with a sigh. It pained her to hear how violently they were treated, but she was pleased she had gotten them to safety in enough time.

 _They are wrong_ , Huntress noted. _They owe me nothing_.

Halbarad had done his job quite well, letting her know who each woman had been sent off with, and the time of arrival he expected as well as the Ranger's time of return. He then left a list of different replenishments he had to make to the home in order to maintain their various qualities of living, which always made her giggle a little on the inside at her second's thorough behavior.

 _Huntress,_

 _Word has been given that another group of women had been found in another raid that your nephew led on his way back from Rohan. They are currently seeking refuge in Imladris, and your niece is there to help take care of them as well._

 _The Prophetess has asked me to pass along the information that a dwarrowdam has been found, along with the women. Given the current company you travel with, it may be wise to let Thorin Oakenshield know, especially to strengthen affairs with the elves._

 _She has also asked me to tell you to "wait for dawn" and to "beware of three." I hope you can make use of this information, as she seemed rather distraught when relaying this information. We both know she wants to keep you and her brother safe, and it seemed important._

 _The women you saved were all returned safely, by the way. All is well with them, and they begged me to pass along their thanks. I think their letters say enough, but I have a soft spot for women, especially endangered women, as you know—so thank you (from them)._

 _All is well with the Rangers. I will watch over them for the duration of your journey._

 _Be safe, le mellon._

 _Halbarad._

Wait for dawn? Beware of three? Could her niece be any vaguer?

She let out a sigh. Nelle's gift had restraints, as everything else did in Arda. But for once would it kill her niece to be a little more straightforward? Especially when she thinks Huntress's life might be on the line?

 _Oh well. It's not like it's the first time._

Huntress quickly wrote a letter for Halbarad, as well as Aragorn and Aranelle. She knew that they would be making their way back here soon enough, and if she didn't catch them at Imladris, then she'd like to have left something for them just in case.

"Dear Huntress, I thought I'd inform you that the others have gone to bed," Gandalf's voice rang out, echoing in the room.

She shot up from writing her last letter and scanned the room only to find Gandalf being the only one there. "I showed Master Ori and Master Baggins to their rooms for the night as well, as I know you often can get lost in what you are doing."

Huntress grinned sheepishly. "You know me well, it seems."

"How are your niece and nephew?"

She glanced down at the letters with a small smile. "It seems we may be meeting them in Imladris," she said.

"Imladris?"

Huntress rolled her eyes. "I know your plans, Mithrandir. Elrond is the only one who can read the map, whether the dwarves want to admit to it or not."

He smiled. "It seems I am not the only one who knows the other well."

"I like to think I'm just not an idiot, that's all."

Gandalf nodded. "Of course."

She stacked the letters and placed a few into a different cabinet before blowing out the light that had been flickering on the table beside her and made her way out of the library with the wizard.

"What are the plans?" She asked him.

"I am sure you need not to hear it from me," Gandalf warned before he opened the door to a room he shared with Bilbo. "I will see you tomorrow, Lady Huntress."

"Wait-what do you mean?"

He gave her one last mischievous smile. "Just keep walking, dear, and you will see," he said, before shutting the door behind him.

As Huntress walked away from the door, she was confused by her friend.

Why do wizards always have to be so mysterious? Is there something about them that keeps them from ever telling the truth? Perhaps they just enjoy meddling with mortals because it makes their immortality more amusing.

 _Well, it's a pleasure to be used for your entertainment, Gandalf. Ugh._

"Lady Huntress, what a surprise to see you out so late."

Ah. So, this is what Gandalf meant.

"Master Oakenshield, I find myself thinking the same about you."

The dark-haired dwarf chuckled lowly from where he was leaning against the brick wall by the window with a pipe in his hand. The look he gave her, underneath those dark eyelashes, caused a crawling sensation to run up her skin. Uh oh, she did not like that. "I'm sure you do."

"What are you doing up so late?" She asked, walking forward into the moonlight that cascaded down from the window.

"Thinking."

Her eyebrows shot up. "I didn't know you did that, Master Oakenshield."

He grinned, a predatorial gleam twinkling in his eye. "I can assure you, Lady Huntress, that I think quite more than you'd believe."

"I suppose I will have to take your word for it."

"An Exile King's word is worth so much?"

She shrugged. "A dwarf with a heart of gold's word is the only one I care for."

He turned to gaze out the window with a scowl. "And my word is worth nothing, I suppose?"

Huntress walked up to stand next to him, entranced by the mist that was slowly easing off the land, flowing with the wind in the moonlight. "I know what I have said, and know this, Master Oakenshield: I care for your word more than you may think."

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "You think I have a heart of gold?"

She quirked a smile. "If that's what I said, then yes, I guess I do."

"How? I've only been derogatory and vile toward you-"

"Yet I see the love and care you have for your kin and your subjects. Not many rulers would do as you do."

He took a puff from his pipe. "Not many rulers have had to work in forges, either."

"The fact that you have goes to prove my point even further, Master Oakenshield. You care for your subjects, so much that you would find work to serve them and provide for them with your bare hands. That is why I say what I say."

The Dwarf King's eyes were wide, and Huntress tried to hide her grin at the likeness between him and Kíli, who had worn the same look only a few hours earlier. "I don't deserve such sentiment from you."

"You deserve far more, Oakenshield," she admitted.

He shook his head. "Not with the way I have treated you. I called you such things, and you've done not to deserve it. And for that, I apologize whole-heartedly."

She smiled. "I accept your apology."

They stood in the moonlight in a comfortable silence. Huntress had never envisioned ever having such a pleasant conversation with Thorin Oakenshield of all people, but for some reason, it seemed normal. Easy. Something that she could do for hours.

She hadn't felt like that in a long time.

"So, Lady _Huntress_ ," Thorin mused. "Will I ever learn your true name?"

She laughed. "Not until you earn it, Master Oakenshield," she quipped, before turning away and walking towards her rooms. It took every ounce of her not to turn and look back when she heard a few sputters coming from his shock. Nope. She was not weak. She wouldn't look back.

She didn't need to look back to feel his blue eyes.

But she did, and after a quick wink, followed by another sputter, she opened the door to her rooms and slid inside.

She'd never admit to what she dreamt of that night, but she certainly saw the same color blue.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The next morning, she looked down at the drawing of her and Arathorn once more before saying goodbye to the place that she had known for over half her life.

"Do you think we'll make it back here again?" Bilbo asked as he was glued to her side after their trip to the library, asking as many questions as he could about her and her people.

"I don't know," she said. "There's a good chance we won't."

He nodded, looking at the drawing in her hands once more. "But you shouldn't say goodbye, Lady Huntress. Just say farewell. It's easier."

She looked at the hobbit oddly as he bid her a soft smile and walked out of the house.

"He is right, you know," Gandalf spoke, leaning on his staff. "Hobbits seem to have a keen sense of knowing what one needs to hear and when they need to hear it."

She sat the drawing down and rubbed a hand on her face. "I'm starting to see that, yes."

"We will be leaving soon. I suggest you listen to what he has said."

Huntress nodded, breathing in deeply. "Why do I feel like I'm never going to come back?"

"Why do you say that?"

She shook her head slightly. "It's just a feeling. I don't know why, but for some reason, I don't think I'll ever see this place again."

He nodded solemnly. "I suggest you listen to the hobbit, my friend."

"Thank you, Gandalf. I'll be out in a moment."

The wizard nodded, and walked out of the house slowly, as though he were saying his own farewells to the place. It was a refuge to all the free people, she mused. Gandalf was one of them, too.

She turned to face her brother's drawing with pursed lips.

"I'll finish what you started, brother," she whispered. "I'll hunt down the white orc. I promise I'll avenge you." She closed her eyes. "Farewell."

As silent as the breeze, Huntress glided out of the house that she'd never live to see again.

1 _Itkit!_ : Shut up!


	9. the one with an oak shield

**Hi Readers!  
Thanks for reading this story, it means a lot! Let me know what you think, it's cool to see what others are thinking when reading. Especially if I make an error, please let me know so I can fix it! Criticism is always appreciated here. Feel free to favorite story, review, like me as an author** **, or give me a private message! Anything is welcome!**

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Ally Layne.**

 **The Revenge of a Huntress**

 **-the one with an oak shield-**

" _I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil."_ _  
_ _―_ _J.R.R. Tolkien,_ _The Return of the King_

After the company had left the safehouse they quickly put many leagues between them and Bree, which was both satisfying and bittersweet for the Ranger as she was not accustomed to being tied down.

She noticed that Thorin had hardly looked at her after last evening which Huntress found a bit odd. She thought they were making strides toward building a decent friendship, but apparently she was wrong.

"Why are you with us if you're supposed to be the leader of the Rangers?" Kíli asked her, as she had become accustomed to riding in between the two princes.

Huntress let out a wry smile. "My kin are able to run themselves for the time being. I was only a little older than my nephew when I was placed into a position of leadership."

The princes looked at her oddly. "You have a nephew?" Fíli asked. "Why aren't you with them?"

She looked at the blonde dwarf from the corner of her eye. He reminded her much of Strider, from the way he held himself to the way he spoke to his own uncle. Huntress knew Fíli, as well as Strider, had the potential to do great things one day.

"My nephew is old enough to lead his own regiment," she explained. "He needs to learn how to be in control of others and understand the responsibility that comes with being in a position of power."

"Do you ever have to help him?" Kíli asked, his eyes darting to his own uncle who was far in front of the trio. "Thorin barely trusts us with mediocre jobs, let alone being in charge of something."

"He always seems to find something wrong with what we are doing," Fíli added. "He's overly critical of us, and sometimes it's hard to believe he's actually our uncle."

Huntress grinned, not daring to look at the dwarves next to her. She set her gaze on the Dwarf King ahead as she remembered their conversation from the previous night. "He may be a bit hard on you, but I can tell you that your uncle loves you both very much. He also believes in you and your capabilities, whether you believe it or not."

She didn't have to be looking at them to know the princes were looking at her like she'd sprouted another head. "How would you know that?" Kíli asked, his voice a bit breathless as if he dared not believe a word from her mouth.

"I know because I have experienced the same thing he has," She admitted. "It's hard to be a leader of your people and have to raise your kin at the same time. I think your uncle is doing it gracefully."

"Gracefully?" Fíli asked.

Huntress shrugged. "Well, about as graceful as a dwarf could handle."

Her companions groaned half-heartedly, and Kíli threw an apple from his saddle at her head. She caught the apple a few inches from her face, smiled at the dumbfounded prince, and took a large bite from it.

"Are you even real?" he asked.

She quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I think my _nadad_ was trying to say is that we've never met someone like you before, Lady Huntress," Fíli explained.

Huntress smiled at the prince. "It would be odd if you met another of me because as far as I know, I'm the only Lady Huntress in these parts."

A few other dwarves joined in the laughter this time, and Huntress just gave a soft smile to Ori, Bofur, Nori, and Bombur. Bifur was also there with a smile on his disfigured face, but he wasn't laughing. She figured he either didn't understand what she was saying, or he was just enjoying the moment for what it was.

"So why have you all decided to join the company?" Huntress asked, hoping to learn more about her dwarven comrades. "You lot know my reasonings, but I've heard nothing from you."

Fíli and Kíli grinned at each other. "I suppose being the heir to the kingdom of Erebor kind of speaks for itself," Fíli spoke with vitality. "I want my people to have their home back and I am willing to do whatever it takes to deem it so."

Kíli nodded along. "And I belong with my brother."

The face she had seen in the drawing at the safe house came to her mind. "I know what you mean."

"I was but a wee lad when Erebor was taken by the mighty Smaug," Nori spoke. "It is time we go home."

Ori agreed. "I was born in the Blue Mountains," he explained, "But I grew up on stories of the halls of Erebor. I wish to see it returned to the dwarven people once more."

"We wish to return to our homeland," Bofur spoke for his brothers. "It is about time our people see the halls of Erebor once more."

Huntress nodded to the dwarves, feeling moved at their words. She placed a hand on her heart. "I will do whatever I can to make sure you return to your halls once more."

It was then Huntress realized that her relationship with these dwarves was going to change her life.

The rest of the day passed quickly, which was something that Huntress was thankful for. They had ended up making camp in a small alcove along the edge of a cliff, something that she was sure Gandalf had suggested to the dwarves.

Huntress found herself making arrowheads with Kíli to pass the time while Bombur and Bilbo worked together to prepare some stew. "What do you use for your arrowheads?" she asked the dwarf. His brother was close by him, sharpening his never-ending arsenal.

Kíli looked up from where he was flaking some sort of stone that she didn't recognize. He looked at the flint in her hand with a grin. "Obsidian, mostly," he said, pointing to the black stone he carried in a bag. "Perks of living in a mountain range. We have access to a variety of materials to flake with."

She noticed he used a piece of some sort of antler as his flaking tool, which he used to put pressure at the edges of his flake to take small pieces of the obsidian off and turn it into the well-known shape of the arrowhead.

Huntress fingered her own antler she obtained from a buck a few months back, which has been kept for this very work. "What do you use, Lady Huntress?"

She held up the piece of flint she was currently flaking, and he hummed in acknowledgment. Fíli looked up in curiosity at his brother's voice and smiled softly at Huntress. "Obsidian can be flaked to be sharper than flint," the blonde dwarf said. "I'm sure we have some spare if you want to join the dark side."

Huntress laughed and eyed the obsidian hopefully. "I have heard that some even use obsidian for blades."

Fíli smirked and pulled out a black blade from the inside of his coat and tossed it to Huntress. "You heard right, my Lady."

"Oi! You got Fee to share his weapons?" Kíli exclaimed with a dramatic gasp in shock. This got the attention of some of the other dwarves, who did the same.

"Oh, shut up _nadad,_ we both know you always lose whatever I give you," Fíli joked, punching his _nadad_ in the arm. Huntress realized that must mean brother, or _hanar._

"You remind me much of my own niece and nephew," Huntress told them, her grey eyes twinkling at the two princes. "It is refreshing to be around two young _fae_ once more."

The dwarves around her immediately stiffened. "What did ye call them?" Dwalin asked, standing up, grabbing hold of his battle axes tightly.

Huntress held back a grown, turning to Gandalf who was watching her with interest. _Any help, mellon?_

The wizard grinned and smoked his pipe once more before letting out a ring of smoke. "I believe, Master Dwalin, that our dear Huntress was referring to their joviality and bright spirits. It should be taken as a complement."

The dwarf in question continued to stare her down, to which she glared at him in annoyance. Honestly, would it kill these dwarves to have a little faith?

"Aye," Balin said. "The Lady Huntress won't harm the lads, _nadad._ "

Huntress immediately looked to the form of Thorin Oakenshield, who stood next to his old advisor with crossed arms. Their eyes met, and she saw something that she couldn't quite place in their blue depths.

"I'll be watchin' you," Dwalin threatened. "Yer just like them elves—backstabbers, the lot of you."

She pursed her lips tightly as he made to walk away. "If I ever betray you, Master Dwalin, I'll _let_ you kill me."

This brought the attention back onto her. "I promise I won't betray you. I swear it on my life."

Gandalf winked at her from behind his pipe as he took another smoke. They knew how important oaths like that were to the dwarves, and Huntress hoped this meant they'd finally give her some leeway and trust her. "She is in earnest," Balin noted. "Good. What say you, Thorin?"

Thorin looked over at her, his blue eyes passing over her form once more. "I say she's in over her head," he said, before turning away and walked toward the cliff's edge.

Huntress felt her heart drop.

"It's okay, lassie," Bofur whispered to her as he patted her shoulder. "He'll come to like ya as we have."

The other dwarves nodded, save the few she hadn't spoken to. "Uncle has a lot of pressure," Fíli tried to amend. "He will come around soon enough."

She grinned at the others. "Thank you." Huntress then looked to Balin who was eyeing their leader and his brother in exasperation. " _All_ of you."

Balin gave her a tired smile. "Not all of us are blind to your heart, lassie."

Huntress knew to take the compliment given. She nodded to the dwarf, a real smile gracing her lips. "It is appreciated, Master Balin."

The two princes placed their arms around her shoulders. "Uncle'll love you once he gets to know you," Kíli said with a light squeeze to her shoulder.

"Yeah, you've got a lot in common. Even he'll come to see that," Fíli continued.

Huntress blushed, remembering how the Durin blue eyes had haunted her dreams the night previous. "You don't say?"

Kíli nudged her side light-heartedly. "Oh, yes, we definitely _do_ say."

She glared at the two young dwarrow as a light blush started to make its way to her cheeks. "Shut up, the both of you. You don't know what you're saying, that's all."

As the dwarrow around her started to laugh, she noticed Gandalf give her a knowing grin. That only served to make her blush deepen. "Aye, lass, we were only kiddin'," Bofur exclaimed, slapping his knee in laughter. "Don't need to take the lads so seriously!"

"Could you imagine? Uncle and Lady Huntress?" Kíli asked his brother jokingly.

Fíli only laughed in response. "Uncle hasn't shown any desire for a lass in years!"

If there was any moment in time where Huntress wanted to sink back into the shadows, this was that time. However, it was only Gandalf that seemed to notice her obvious distress.

Luckily for Huntress, the dwarves were soon cut off by Bombur who announced that the stew was ready, which led to a hungry pack of dwarves huddling around the large pot over the fire with their bowls in hand.

"I told you the dwarves will grow on you," Gandalf commented as he moved to her side. She only grinned at the wizard.

"I never doubted you for a second, _mellon_."

The wizard's deep chuckle sounded in her ears. "Well, let us hope the others have the same sentiments."

She shrugged and smiled toward Bilbo who was approaching the two with a pair of bowls in hand. "Would either of you mind for some stew?"

Huntress nodded and quickly accepted the bowl from the hobbit with a thank you. "At least one of you still has manners," the hobbit sighed, before making his way back to the huddle.

Gandalf and Huntress laughed at his obvious dislike for the dwarrow's manners and sat in silence while eating their stew and watched as the dwarves fought over a few different pieces of bread and Huntress nearly avoided being hit by a wayward sludge of stew that Bofur had catapulted.

"Sorry lassie!" the dwarf exclaimed and went back into whatever fight he was in with the two princes.

She only laughed in response.

"What were you and Thorin talking about last night?" Gandalf asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. "I did not expect the two of you would be able to hold a proper conversation so soon."

Huntress rolled her eyes. "Thank you for believing in me."

"I only meant that it seemed to me the two of you would be too busy going after each other like rabid animals to have a proper conversation."

She shrugged. "It helped that I defended their honor in the Prancing Pony."

"I suppose it also helped you opened up your home for them?"

Huntress looked to her friend sharply. "That place is not my home, you know that. At least, not anymore."

Gandalf looked deep into her eyes. "Why are you so insistent on running away from those who care for you?"

"Halbarad has spoken to you?"

The wizard only grinned sheepishly. "I did run into him after I invited you on the quest, _mellon_. What we discussed is up for interpretation."

She bit her lip and turned to face the group of dwarves who were now enamored with a new conversation that included Bilbo. "I didn't realize that you and Halbarad have deemed yourselves my keepers. You have no reason to discuss my personal business. None."

Gandalf let out a soft cough. "My apologies, my friend. We only want the best for you, and with the way you've been hunting-"

"Don't tell me you think I'll be getting myself killed."

"I was not about to say that-"

She sighed. "Halbarad has already spoken with me about my… pursuits. I only want to stop the beast that killed my brother, Gandalf. My _brother._ I must make sure no one else feels such pain."

Gandalf took another whiff of his pipe as he placed his bowl down next to him. "I understand."

Huntress nodded as she picked up both bowls and started to make her way to place them in the pile where dishes were meant to be done. "Good."

She quickly did the dishes for the dwarves, not wanting to speak to anyone at this point. Yes, she was aware that she had been particularly cold-blooded lately but that didn't mean she was going to get herself killed.

 _I am the chieftain of the Dúnedain, and leader of the Northern Rangers. I can handle myself._

Time quickly passed, and most dwarves ended up heading to get some rest after their meals. Huntress didn't blame them—the journey was only beginning, and they all were going to need all the sleep they could get.

However, at the familiar sound of a screech echoing throughout the night caused her to pause her ministrations and grab her sword stiffly.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked, his voice carrying throughout the camp. She noticed the hobbit hurry over to where the dwarven princes lazily sat by the fire, looking to the two for some sort of protection.

"Orcs," Kíli answered lowly, pausing his own work in tying his arrowheads to shafts of wood that he had shaved down to proper form.

"Orcs?" Bilbo breathed, hurrying back to the fire.

Huntress felt her chest tighten at the word. Yes. That's exactly what she had heard.

"Throat cutters," Fíli added lazily. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The low-lands are crawling with 'em."

She felt her hands start shaking and she quickly placed the bowls away to the side. Huntress knew she wouldn't be much help with the dishes when she was on edge, anyway.

"They strike in the wee hours when everyone is asleep," Kíli continued, sounding like he was telling a cautionary folktale to frightened children.

" _Arathelle, run!"_ She shivered.

"Quick and quiet, no screams."

" _No! Please, I need to go and save him!"_

" _He's gone, Huntress!"_

" _Let me go, Halbarad!"_

" _Huntress-Arathelle, stop! He's gone!"_

"Just a lot of blood."

" _Arathelle, your brother is dead. You saw him. He's gone."_

" _No, no, he's just… he's just sleeping-"_

" _He's gone."_

Huntress swallowed the blood that pooled in her mouth from biting her tongue too hard. She didn't even notice she had been doing that but figured that's what had kept her from crying out at the memories.

At the sound of the dwarven prince's chuckles, she immediately whirled around to see them laughing at Bilbo's fright. She opened her mouth to speak, but apparently, she wasn't fast enough.

"You think that is funny?" she heard Thorin's voice growl as he stalked through the camp to his nephews. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

Huntress flinched and noticed Gandalf's eyes flick over her form. He gave her a sorrowful gaze, before turning away to take another swig of his pipe. She breathed in deeply, trying to ignore the screams that echoed in her skull.

"We didn't mean anything by it," Kíli was quick to try to amend, as the two looked up at Thorin with a fleck of fear in their eyes.

"No, you didn't," Thorin raged. "You know nothing of the world."

Seeing that his nephews were properly scolded, he turned back on his heel to stalk to the ledge where he stood with his back to the rest of the company.

The others had all been woken up from this display.

"By the way," Huntress voiced, wincing at the choked sound that came out. The two Durin princes turned to face her along with all the others besides Thorin. "The night raids by orcs are not quick, nor silent. You were right about the blood, though."

Their eyes widened. "Lady Huntress, we didn't-" Fíli started.

She lifted a hand to wave him off. "No, you didn't. And you will never do this again."

Huntress flicked on her hood and walked to go sit in the shadows by where Gandalf was sitting along a few trees that grew on the mountainside. She wanted to be alone for right now.

"Don't mind them, laddie," Balin consoled the two dwarves after Huntress made herself comfortable. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. And I am sure the Lady Huntress does as well."

She closed her eyes, leaning up against the wall behind her. She could hear the screams of her loved ones, her _people_ , as they were carelessly slaughtered.

"After the dragon had took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror had tried to take back the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had come there first."

Huntress opened her eyes and breathed in as the story of Thorin Oakenshield started to ring through her ears.

"Moria had been taken by legions of Orc, led by the most vile of all their race—Azog, the Defiler. The giant, Gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin."

Fíli and Kíli looked to their uncle in surprise.

"He began by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief, he went missing—taken prisoner or killed, we do not know."

Huntress turned to face Gandalf, who nodded to her with his deep, dark eyes. _He was a dwarven prisoner? And Halbarad said…_ It was all starting to become connected.

"We were leaderless, defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him. A young dwarf prince, facing down the pale orc. He stood alone, against this terrible foe. His armor went, wielding nothing but an oaken branch for a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken.

"Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song that night. For our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived, and I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one, I could call _king_."

The dwarves had stood up from their places, and had all turned to face their king, Thorin Oakenshield, in awe. Not many have shared this story, as is the secretive way of the dwarves. Huntress looked on at the living dwarven legend in front of her with a small frown tugging at her lips.

It seems the two of them have more in common than she had initially thought.

Thorin turned around and his blue eyes swept over his company, and he bowed his head slightly in respect. Huntress noticed that he avoided her gaze with a raised eyebrow.

"And the pale orc, what happened to him?" Bilbo asked, looking between the dwarves with anxiety.

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came," Thorin spoke, his voice holding a deep fire that had been kindled there for over a century. "That filth died of his wounds long ago."

Her eyes widened.

She looked at Gandalf, who wore a look of deep sadness. She supposed he had lost a few friends to the white orc, her brother, and all those who had been slaughtered by his doing.

"You are wrong," she spoke, her voice weary. Huntress slid up against the wall with a deep breath to prepare for what she knew was coming. "Azog is still alive, Master Oakenshield."

The dwarves all immediately turned to her with various looks of anger, terror, and shock. Thorin, however, looked to be the most livid.

"What do you mean, _Ranger_? Of course, the filth is dead. I cut his arm off myself."

She noticed how his hands itched toward his blade.

"Look, all I am saying is-"

"You are saying a _lie_ ," he seethed.

She grit her teeth, trying to withhold her anger. "I am _not_ lying, Thorin! The white orc is still out there—he is hunting the Line of Durin as we speak!"

The dwarf king took a few angry steps toward her, and the other dwarves parted between them immediately. _Cowards._

"You are a liar and a cheat. I knew we shouldn't have let you along on this journey," Thorin continued, his eyes turning into an icy glare.

She clenched her fists. "Why do you never believe me?"

The dwarf king gripped his blade even harder, and she noticed Gandalf stand up from where he had been seated.

"I never will believe a lie told from the mouth of a Ranger. Your secrets are secrets for a reason we all know. Your lot are dirty thieves, feasting off the lives of the poor."

Huntress growled. "And I bet that's what your nursemaids used to tell you before you went to sleep at night?"

Thorin unsheathed his blade now. "Thorin, enough-"

"No. She needs to be dealt with. She comes from a long line of lying _men_."

In a flash, she was at his neck, holding a silver blade to his jugular while panting in rage. "You will never speak of my family in such a way again," she growled, her spit flinging from her mouth and hitting his face in her anger.

Thorin had the guts to bear his teeth in a wolfish grin. "You don't tell me what to do, _traitor_."

Huntress heard another growl from behind her and felt Dwalin before she could move to stop him. "Get your filthy hands off my king!" he raged and attacked her with his ax. She immediately rolled to the side, and swiftly undercut the back of his knees with one of her legs, sending the dwarf flying to the side.

She pounced on him with her fists, her blade long forgotten. Her punches were delivered with a ferocity that had Gandalf reeling, and he immediately picked up his staff and forced a wave of energy to knock her off the dwarf.

"Huntress, that is enough," Gandalf spoke, his voice elevated in sound from the use of his magic. "Dwalin, stand down."

Dwalin turned to Thorin, who's eyes had cleared slightly from the madness that had overtaken them. The king nodded to his cousin, who then stood down. Huntress grabbed her bag, ripped it open, and took out the piece of parchment that Gandalf had shown her all those nights ago.

"This is black speech," she said lowly, shoving the paper into Thorin's free hand. "Azog wants your head, Thorin Oakenshield. I suggest you prepare yourself."

She quickly turned and stalked into the shadows, as far as she dared go to get away from the dwarrow. Huntress had enough of dwarves for the time being.

She sat on the cliff's edge, far from everyone else. She chose to ignore the anger and sickening feeling that was churning in her stomach and focused on the wind whipping her face and billowing through her hair.

Still, she could hear Gandalf's voice echo from farther away. "You are not the only one who has lost everything at the hands of the white orc, Thorin Oakenshield."

A pause.

"What happened to her, Gandalf?" Bilbo's voice asked.

Memories ravaged her brain at the thought of an answer.

"It is her story to tell, Master Baggins. But it is not one that is enjoyable to hear."

Another pause.

"I never asked her to join us," Thorin's gruff voice echoed harshly. "She came on her own violation."

"Yes," Gandalf agreed. "But she came to help you. And look at how you've treated her—like a common street rat. Lady Huntress is one of the noblest beings I have ever known. You, Master Dwarf, have just made a massive mistake."

She heard Gandalf start to walk away from the camp.

"I suggest you make amends, Thorin. I would rather like to think you a dwarf of more character than what I had just seen."

Huntress buried her head in her hands. This was not going as well as she had hoped. Her eyes stung, and at the sound of footsteps closing in on her, she looked up to see her old friend look down at her with tired eyes.

"Are you here to scold me, too?"

The wizard just shook his head and sat down next to her. "Actually, I'd rather like to applaud you. Not many have stared down the Dwarf King at the end of their blade and lived to tell the tale."

She laughed, but it came out as a sob. "Thank you, _mellon._ "

Her sob turned into another, and soon she was sobbing soundlessly into her hands. Her shoulders were shaking with every heave of breath and her tears were streaming violently down her face. She felt a hand clasp her shoulder.

"I am not going anywhere," Gandalf told her, squeezing her shoulder in support. "I am here for you, my friend."

Huntress finally, after 25 years of silently grieving, let herself go.


	10. the one with a name

**OMG I'm sorry I haven't updated in the past few weeks! I've been busy with final projects and papers in my college classes as the semester is coming to a close. I swear the professors wait until the end of the semester to give you all the homework and assignments, and it really pisses me off. Oh well. Here's a longer chapter for you, thank you so much for reading, adding this story, and commenting! It really makes my day.**

 **Feel free to check out my new story,** _ **Pawn**_ **. It's an original, and it's really my first time ever posting something like that. Please let me know what you think! I have a preview of** _ **Pawn**_ **at the end of this chapter for any of you who are interested!**

 **Cheers!**

 **Ally Layne.**

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOo**

She was exhausted.

Her mother used to tell her that shedding tears will sometimes make things better, rather than holding it in. However, this time, Huntress has realized her mother got it wrong. She wasn't feeling better. If anything, she was feeling worse.

Last night she decided to sleep farther away from the others and has been keeping to the outskirts of the group as much as she can. Huntress didn't want to get into another yelling match with Thorin or Dwalin. She didn't know if she'd be able to make it through another one.

Gandalf had been kind to her after seeing the state that she was in the previous night, and Bilbo started to move closer to her side while they were riding through the woods. The dwarves kept their distance.

Huntress was glad they did. She didn't know if she wanted to talk about it, anyway.

Currently, while they were riding through the forests that would lead them to Imladris, at least, if Gandalf and Huntress had their way.

The dwarves were talking amongst themselves, telling stories of the kingdoms of old, and the legends that have been passed on from generation to generation. Huntress normally would love to listen and participate in those discussions, but she felt far too raw to be around them.

Especially after what had been said to her last night.

Her eyes were starting to droop, but she fought to keep them open. She had hardly slept last night, as every time she found herself dozing off the screams of her people would soon echo in her nightmares.

She decided she didn't need to sleep.

Not if that was going to happen.

"You look like you're going to fall off your horse," Gandalf told Huntress gruffly, before taking a puff from his pipe.

Huntress chose to ignore him and continued to keep her gaze on the trail in front of her.

"You cannot keep running from this, you know," he continued. "It is perfectly normal to grieve for those you have lost."

She stiffened. "Why do you say that?"

The old wizard looked at her thoughtfully. "You have not taken time to grieve for your brother's demise, Lady Huntress. Perhaps you should let yourself do so."

Her eyes flickered to the dwarves riding on their ponies in front of them. "I am not in proper company to do so."

Gandalf's eyes held a mysterious glint that Huntress didn't recognize. "I think you are in perfect company to do so, my friend. Maybe, you should consider building relationships rather than pushing them away."

She choked on her spit in shock. "I did no such thing!"

The wizard shrugged carelessly. "You have not made it easy for them to trust you, either."

Her steely grey eyes glared at the side of his head aggressively. "I have been perfectly amiable, Mithrandir. It is they who should require more proper manners."

Bilbo, who had been riding near the duo, scoffed. " _Manners?_ You'd assume they would be cordial and have proper manners?"

She held in a growl. "Don't sass me, Hobbit."

Bilbo's eyes widened, and he quickly pursed his lips to hide any retort.

On the other hand, Gandalf raised a brow at her show of anger. "Just listen to yourself, my dear. You must become more understanding if we are to succeed in this quest."

She narrowed her gaze. "I am not the one at fault, Mithrandir."

Gandalf grinned. "Of course not, Lady Huntress. However, you must understand where they are coming from, and their own understandings, if you are to properly discern the situation."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

She knew he had her hooked. "What I mean, dear Huntress is that Thorin Oakenshield believed the beast that killed his family and nearly wiped out the line of Durin had been dead for the past hundred years or so. Imagine the emotions that you would feel if you experienced the same."

She bit her lip. "That still doesn't excuse his reaction. He insulted my family, Mithrandir. My _family._ You cannot expect me to let that go."

The wizard remained silent for a moment, pondering over his thoughts.

"I can, and I will."

Huntress's eyebrows skyrocketed. "What?"

Gandalf took a breath before speaking, knowing that he was going to need to speak with a silver tongue if he were to get anywhere with the Ranger. "The Northern Rangers are shrouded by the secrets that you must keep. It is hard for others to understand why you do what you do-"

"We keep secrets to protect our people!" She exclaimed, tightening her hold on the reigns. "They needn't know any more than that."

The wizard nodded. "Yes, of course. I understand that, Lady Huntress. But these dwarves do not. Do your best to understand what the actions of the Rangers may look like to those who do not understand their reasonings. The Rangers keep secrets to protect the world and your people. But what if those secrets are what lead them to _not_ trust you?"

Huntress blinked.

 _Of course,_ she thought. _This is why they act the way they do._

"But that doesn't excuse Thorin and Dwalin for their actions," Huntress insisted. "They insulted my character and my family. Having a lack of trust and understanding of someone doesn't mean you can treat them that way."

Gandalf shrugged his shoulder half-heartedly, turning his gaze to the King in exile himself. "You did put a blade to his neck, you know. I would assume Dwalin would have enough cause to step in and help his King after that."

Huntress replayed the fight in her head, letting out a sigh when she realized that Gandalf was right. "But Thorin-"

"Thorin Oakenshield is a stubborn dwarf," Gandalf cut her off before waving a hand in acknowledgment. "He is most likely one of the most stubborn of their race. You should come to realize that he typically speaks first, then thinks later."

She snorted. "That doesn't make him sound like good King material."

He shrugged again. "Perhaps. But it does make him an excellent warrior, and a passionate leader."

Huntress let out a soft chuckle. "Of course, it does."

Gandalf nodded to her as he moved on ahead, leaving her behind with plenty to think about. Maybe he was right. Maybe, just maybe, she had been overreacting.

She could see it, now. The dwarves had different social understandings, and from what she had witnessed, one of their priorities in their social circles was grounded in trust. This was completely different from the Southern Courts in Gondor, where social circles were merely a game to be played.

Gandalf started to share his own stories with the company, and they became completely enraptured by the wizard. Huntress, having heard Gandalf's stories hundreds of times on their adventures, looked on fondly.

Thorin, Dwalin and Balin were leading the pack, all in a straight line across. Thorin was in the middle, as was customary. Balin was on his right, Dwalin on his left.

They seemed to be discussing something intently, completely ignoring the stories pouring out of Gandalf's lips.

"Do you have any other stories, Gandalf?" Bilbo asked once the wizard had finished.

Gandalf leaned back in the saddle as he smiled smugly. "Of course, I do, Master Baggins. Plenty of years' worth, in fact. However, I do recall the Lady Huntress being quite the storyteller herself. Perhaps _she_ should share a story."

 _Mother-_

"Lady Huntress! Tell us a story!" Kíli demanded, his cheeky grin wide and mischievous.

"Yes, Lady Huntress, you _must_!" Fíli exclaimed.

The sentiment was quickly echoed by the other dwarves who had been listening, making Huntress wave them off with a roll of her eyes. To be honest, she was surprised to discover they were willing to take her back with open arms so quickly. "Fine, you scoundrels. I'll tell you a story."

Cheers erupted from the company.

"Oi! Knock if off if you want to hear anything!"

They stopped.

 _If I had known all it took was telling them a story, I would've done it earlier,_ she thought.

She noticed Thorin start to slow down his pony's pace to listen in. She chose not to acknowledge it, though.

"Once upon a time-"

"Why you gotta start it like that?" Bofur asked, annoyance seeping in his tone.

"Yeah!" Gloin exclaimed. "Why you oughta start like that?"

Huntress rolled her eyes. "If you want me to tell you a story, you probably shouldn't be talking and interrupting me," she spoke as calm as death. "Now, let me tell my story."

She took a dramatic deep breath, then continued, "Once upon a time, there was a girl-"

"Wait, this is going to be about _humans_?" Dori gasped from behind her. "They're a rather odd sort, aren't they?"

Huntress turned her body around to face the dwarf. "Let me tell my story, Master Dori."

Ori, Bofur, and the two princes of Erebor laughed. "That rhymed," Kíli spoke, slapping his knee in humor. "Lady Huntress, you should be a bard!"

She grit her teeth to try and keep herself calm. She remembered her discussion with Gandalf and supposed that it wouldn't be good if she just started verbally insulting the dwarves. They are a rowdy bunch, so she should expect there to be at least _some_ interruptions.

"For Yavanna's sake, let the poor woman speak!" Bilbo cried, waving his arms in exasperation.

Huntress snorted but tried to hide it with a cough as the other dwarves started complaining to Bilbo about interrupting them. Blue eyes that belonged to the King met hers. Her smile faded and immediately looked somewhere else, not ready to face him quite yet.

"Continue on, lass," Balin commented, immediately silencing the rest of the dwarves without another word. Huntress grinned at the old dwarf, who nodded in return.

"Thank you, Master Balin. Now, back to the story," she eyed a few of the younger dwarves, namely the two princes who wore their usual looks of mischief. "Once upon a time, there was a girl who was born noble and fit to be a princess. Her name was Snow White, as her skin was the fairest of all, and her hair was as dark as a raven's. She was betrothed to a prince of a neighboring kingdom, although, she never met him before. After her mother was killed in childbirth, her stepmother, the queen, married her father for his fortune rather than love."

"This ain't gonna end well," Bofur muttered to Ori, who nodded in agreement.

Huntress decided to let that go, and continued, "This queen was especially vain. She was proud to be the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, a fact told to her by the magic mirror that sees all."

"Sounds like somethin' the elves have," Dwalin grunted, turning to his brother. "The elves and their magic..."

"Be quiet, brother," Balin told him.

"Every day it became a ritual. The queen would indeed look into the mirror and speak, 'Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?' and the mirror would always reply, 'you, my queen.'"

"She sounds like a piece of work," Kíli mumbled, causing Fíli to extend his arm and shove his brother nearly off his pony.

Huntress smiled at the pair. Her niece would knock Estel off his horse when he bothered her, too. "However, once Snow White grew in age, the mirror could not lie to the queen. She asked the mirror, 'Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?', and the mirror replied, 'Snow White, my queen.'

"When the queen heard this, she was in shock. Then, she became angry. How dare Snow White be the most beautiful and fairest of the entire kingdom? So, she knew there was one thing she had to do: she called for the best huntsman in the lands and told him to cut out the girl's heart then bring it to her as proof he had done his duty to the kingdom."

"That seems like she's being a bit dramatic," Ori pointed out with a raise of his hand.

Huntress quickly nodded in agreement. "I would never condone this, Master Ori. However, this is what happens in the story, so I shall tell it so."

"Please continue, Lady Huntress," Gandalf told her, with a quick wink.

She pursed her lips in thought. _What was the old coot up to now?_

"When the huntsman took Snow White out into the woods, instead of carving out her heart for the queen, he told her of her deception and begged the young princess to run. Snow White, astounded that her stepmother would do such a thing, ran into the dark forest alone."

"What did the Huntsman do, then? Did he run off, too?" Fíli asked.

"The huntsman carved out the heart of a deer instead and offered it the queen who had no clue as to what happened. This gave Snow White and the Huntsman enough time to escape the kingdom, both going different ways.

"Snow found a little cottage in a small meadow in the middle of the forest. She quickly hurried there to seek shelter from the evil queen. However, when she got close enough to the cottage, she noticed something rather peculiar. The door was far too short for any man to comfortably fit through!"

"Is it a hobbit's home?" Bilbo asked excitedly.

Huntress shook her head.

"Let me guess, it's a home for some wayward dwarves!" Bofur exclaimed. "Of course it is, especially if they ain't living in the mountains."

She smiled at the excited dwarf, which led others to follow Bofur's example and grin in anticipation. "You're right, Master Bofur. The cottage did belong to dwarves. Seven dwarves, in fact."

"Were they exiled by their Lord? Or were they merchants of some sort?" Gloin asked.

Huntress shrugged. "I guess you could say that they're merchants, but-"

Then, the sky began to pour.

Huntress immediately flipped up her hood as the others tried to do the same.

"I will finish the story later, Master Dwarves," she called out to the others, who were trying to get themselves settled in the cold and wet weather.

She almost felt bad that they didn't have the ranger's cloaks, which provided warmth and were rain and water resistant. There was a layer of some sort of wax on the outside of the cloak that allowed the rain to roll off.

"Nah, we can still hear ya, lassie," Nori called.

"I cannae hear anythin!" Oin exclaimed, holding the listening contraption to his ear, but grimacing and pulling it away as the water started to drain from it. "We best wait for later, lassie!"

"I promise to tell you the rest later," she said. "Let's just get through this rain first."

She edged back over to where Gandalf was riding close to Bilbo and decided to stick near them for the time being. She still wasn't sure how she sat with the dwarves and thought that it would be best to try not to test the boundaries just yet.

Huntress let out a laugh at Gandalf's face after Dori asked for him to stop the rain, which ended up starting a conversation of the different wizards that roamed Middle Earth. She, having already heard stories of the other wizards and meeting Saruman himself in her previous meetings with the White Council.

The white wizard scared her for some reason, and she wasn't sure if it was the power that he held. Lady Galadriel didn't scare her. So why should Saruman?

She found herself lost in her thoughts until she heard a slight burly cough sound out from beside her. As soon as she turned to greet whoever it was, her eyes widened.

"Master Dwalin-"

The massive dwarf cut her off with a wave of his thick hand. "Lassie, please, let me talk to ya here."

Huntress swallowed before nodding.

"I-uh just wanted to tell ye that I've never fought a lass like you in all my years. Perhaps, if you'd be willing, we can teach each other the fighting styles of our people," Dwalin continued, although the ending sounded a bit painful for him to be saying out loud.

 _That's probably as close to an apology that I'll ever receive from the dwarf._

"Thank you, Master Dwalin. I will be sure to take time to spar with you in the future," she agreed with a small smile. Dwalin nodded and turned to face forward to where Balin and Thorin were riding with a look of pained pride.

"By any chance, was it your brother that urged you to speak with me?" Huntress asked, quirking her head to where the two older dwarves rode.

Dwalin sputtered, and a soft blush tinted his cheeks. "Well, I-no, of course not-but, well, yes, he did."

Huntress laughed. "It's fine, Master Dwalin. Gandalf spoke to me about my brazen behavior last night, as well. I should be apologizing to you and King Thorin for my actions."

An odd look crossed over the dwarf's face. "Aye. Well, lassie, I accept that apology. And I do hope to be able to spar with ye in the future."

She smiled. "I as well."

He nodded, before heading off to ride closer to his brother and the dwarven king. Thorin, after hearing Dwalin come trotting up, turned to look at her in the eye, which confused the ranger. How could he go from being so stand-offish like last night, to seeking a form of contact?

But Huntress was never one to bow out of a stare-off. She quirked an eyebrow at the King, who's lips tilted up into what could have been a grin if he weren't so overbearing. Then, as quick as it began, he turned away.

She didn't even know if that happened, or if she had just imagined it.

Huntress figured she was really going to have to learn more about dwarven social cues if she were going to survive this quest.

As the sun started to sink further into the west, Thorin's conversation with Balin and Dwalin had become terser and shorter, leaving Huntress to figure they were talking about a sensitive subject for the dwarf.

It was when he slowed down his horse and made his way to ride along her side that she realized what they had been discussing.

"Lady Huntress, may I have a word?" he asked in his regal kingly voice.

Huntress nodded wordlessly with a cautious eye.

Thorin pursed his lips, let out a breath, and continued, "It has come to my attention that I have acted less than proper to you in our quarrel from last night. I have come to realize that I may partially be at fault for those actions, and I would like to apologize."

She gaped.

"I know I should not have said some of the things I did, and for that, you have my deepest regrets. We come from different lives, you and I, and I suppose I should do a better job understanding those differences." He paused, and added with a soft smile, "As well as our similarities."

 _Is this really happening?_

"Thank you, Master Dwarf," Huntress breathed. "I must apologize for my actions as well-"

He shook his head. "No, it was I who initiated the fight, and it is I who owe you retribution."

She shook her head quickly. "No, no retribution is needed for me, Oakenshield. I don't need that to trust you are being in earnest."

A soft smile drew on Thorin's weary face. "Really? You would take my word for it?"

Huntress shrugged. "Why would I not?"

It was Thorin's turn to repeat the action. "I am not sure. Dwarrowdams normally would be crying out for a trial and demanding a beard or honorary combat."

Her eyes widened considerably. "From your time living amongst men, I'd assume you'd know we have different traditions, Master Dwarf."

He tilted his head slightly. "Well, my apologies once more for not understanding you were just trying to help us. I did honestly believe you were insulting my honor-"

"Why would I do that?"

Thorin pursed his lips. "Most men have done so in the past."

"Do I look like most men?"

He pretended to look over the ranger with a diligent gaze. "Not from what I see, you aren't. I should have trusted you, and I apologize for not doing so."

She sighed. "I accept your apology, and I am sorry for lashing out as I did. It was uncalled for, even in the height of emotion, and I overreacted." She let out another breath, "I wish I could promise not to do it again, but I know myself better than that."

Thorin chuckled. "I would not expect you to, Lady Huntress."

A smile became plastered on her face. "Call me Arathelle, Master Dwarf."

His blue eyes grew in size. "Arathelle?"

She laughed. "Well, that is my name, so I think that is what you should call me."

He swallowed visibly. "On that case, it's a pleasure to have you in this company, Lady Arathelle."

She winked. "It's a pleasure to serve you, your majesty."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOo**

 **As promised, here is the preview to my new original story,** _ **Pawn:**_

 _Life is a game_

 _We never intended to play._

Detective Ophelia Blake has officially lost everything. Her friends and family have all died at the hands of the one person she couldn't catch- the deadly Nightshade. Wallowing in defeat, the genius packs her bags and heads from New York City to St. Paul, Minnesota where she hopes to leave her past behind.

If only it were that simple.

After a chance meeting with the mysterious billionaire Mr. Thorne along with his comedic driver Archie, she becomes immersed into the world of the rich and wealthy. She quickly discovers that her past will not stay in the past, and finds much more danger than before.

Will Ophelia learn how to defeat her demons?

Or will she end up like her namesake- driven into madness?

 **Link to story on my page!**


	11. the one with the trolls

**Hey readers! Thank you for sticking with me through this long month hiatus! I'm sorry it took me so long to update, life just caught up with me and I had to take a break. But I'm back now, so be ready for some regular updates! Let me know what you think!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Ally.**

 **The Revenge of the Huntress**

 **the one with the trolls**

" **Feelings do not always determine truth, but they can sometimes tell you what is true."**

― **J.R. Rim**

Arathelle decided that Thorin Oakenshield was the single most irritating dwarf to ever exist. He was stuck in his ways and was consistently unwilling to compromise.

When the company came upon the remains of an old farmhouse that she remembered in her previous travels to belong to a kind farmer and his family, she knew something was wrong.

She had seen the family just a year prior.

Something was _very_ wrong. She knew Old Sal would never leave his farm behind, not that quickly. At least he would have spoken to her about plans to move, but nothing like _this_. The land seemed to be completely desecrated and the remains of the home that was once lively were now being grown over by the greenery.

It was then that Thelle knew something must've happened to them.

Thorin turned around his pony to face the rest of the company, and Thelle felt her stomach drop.

"We'll camp here for the night," Thorin announced. Immediately the dwarves started to file off and prepare themselves for nightfall.

Thelle and Gandalf, however, shared a weary look.

Her eyes followed Gandalf as he walked solemnly through the remains of the farmhouse as she vaguely listened to Thorin's orders.

"Fíli, Kíli, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them."

Thelle hopped down from _Mithril_ and patted her snout in thanks before feeding her a bite from the apple she had been saving in her saddlebag. The horse snorted loudly and grounded her hooves into the grassy floor before calming slightly.

"It's fine, girl, I can feel it too."

Fíli walked up to the Ranger with his signature grin. "I'm here to take your horse to graze a bit if you'd like, Lady Thellie."

Thelle didn't even bother hiding the roll of her eyes. "Ever since I told Master Thorin about my name, you lot have decided to figure out any possible way to get a rise outta me."

The blonde dwarf chuckled. "So, Lady Thellie is not working for you?"

She shook her head, and ungracefully spat out the ends of her hair that had invaded her mouth during the action.

"No. Nor is Ara-thellie, Ara-smellie, or even Thellie-bellie. Please, keep it simple, _Princeling_."

Fíli's grin widened. "Princeling?"

"Do you think you and Kíli are the only ones who can come up with nicknames?"

A new look entered the young dwarf's eyes. "Good to know, Lady Thelle."

She smiled. "Take care of Mithril for me, will you? She needs some water."

"At your service, Milady." With a deep bow, Fíli took Mithril's reigns and guided the mare to where the ponies had been gathered near the edge of the meadow.

Thelle noticed Bilbo loitering around and decided to see what her favorite hobbit was doing before she heard the loud bickering coming from inside the dismantled farmhouse.

"Help?" Thorin's voice projected. "A dragon attacks Erebor. What help came from the elves? Orcs plunder Moria… desecrate our sacred halls. The elves looked on and did nothing."

A feeling of annoyance started to seep into Thelle's veins. She quickly decided to make her way over to the two stubborn beings before a battle occurred.

"You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather," Thorin continued. "Who betrayed my father."

She felt her jaw clench at the sound of Thorin's barely contained rage.

"You are neither of them," Gandalf's impatient voice cut through the silence. "I did not give you that map and key to hold onto the past."

"I did not know they were yours to keep." Thorin looked to be close to erupting upon the wizard.

Gandalf simply shook his head at the dwarf and turned to stalk off, nearly hitting Thelle on his way out. "Good, it's your turn to deal with him," the wizard told her, before walking out toward the woods.

Thelle looked at him with slightly wide eyes.

"Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?" Bilbo asked after his stalking body.

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense."

"And who's that?"

" _Myself_ , Mr. Baggins," Gandalf called out. "I've had enough of dwarves for one day."

She shifted her focus to look upon the Dwarf King, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze purposefully. He slowly stepped around her still form before stalking out while wearing a stone-cold exterior. "Come on, Bombur, we're hungry."

Thelle knew she had her work cut out for her with this one.

"Do you think he will be coming back?" she heard Bilbo ask Balin in a worried voice. Her heart went out for him, knowing that Gandalf was his safety net in this rag-tag company.

"I know for certain he will, Master Baggins," Thelle told him. "Gandalf was the one who made sure this company came together, and he will make sure to see it through."

Bilbo nodded, letting out a heavy breath through his teeth. "I hope it stays that way," he admitted.

The ends of her lips tilted upwards as she took a few steps toward the hobbit. "It will, Bilbo. Do not worry yourself over it." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now, I reckon Master Bombur would like it if you gave him some help. You know how difficult it can be to feed the company."

And like that, Bilbo's mood seemed to flick like a switch.

"Of course, of course. Those dwarves sure know how to eat." He looked up at Thelle with determination sparking in his eyes. "Thank you for the kind words, Lady Ranger."

Her head dipped slightly in acknowledgment. "Call me Thelle, Master Baggins."

"Only if you keep calling me Bilbo." And with a sly grin, the hobbit made his way to go assist Bombur in preparing a stew for the company.

Thelle felt her smile remain as she watched the rest of the dwarves bickering and setting up camp at their own leisure, but quickly felt it fall when a cold chill seemed to run through her veins.

The farmer's family.

 _Something wasn't right._

She turned to look at the overgrown home once more, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that made its home in her chest.

"Lady Arathelle, is there something wrong?"

The slight jump that answered the dwarf was all it took to show that something was indeed not right. Thelle placed a hand on her pounding chest and turned to face the one who had so quietly snuck up on her.

"Master Balin, you scared me."

He let out a low chuckle. "That is probably the first time that you have ever told that to a dwarf."

Thelle raised a brow. "That is indeed true, Master Balin. Perhaps you should offer your services to assist Bilbo in his burglary."

"Ah, now that would be a story to tell, lassie. An old dwarf like me would never be able to do such a thing."

"It would go down in history as one of the finest legends ever told, I dare say."

Balin tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps. But I believe that is not the reason why you heard my loud footsteps, Milady. What is on your mind? Maybe with the wisdom of my years, I would be able to assist you."

She took a few steps back and went to lean against a massive stone that lay by the remains of the old farmhouse. "Something doesn't seem to be right. It was only a year since I last visited with those who lived in his home. They have close ties with Bree—I would have expected to have heard something about this incident had it been reported."

"You believe there were so survivors?"

She looked over to where Thorin was standing with Dwalin. He was looking on the others who had made themselves comfortable in the camp, completely unaware of the doom she knew they may come to face.

"I believe something bad happened to this poor family. I believe that whatever or whoever may have caused this is most likely still lurking in these trees."

Balin's eyes snapped to meet her own in an instant. "I hope you're wrong, lassie."

Thelle nodded. "As do I."

Conversation with Balin soon ran dry, as both parties had said their pieces and have traded different ideas and intellect on what must have happened to the farming family. The crops were now overgrown and did not look to have been laid down a few months prior.

Whatever had happened to them was not recent, so there was hope that whatever had caused this had since left the lands.

However, Thelle knew all too well that was likely not the case.

"Would you like a bowl, Lady Thelle?" Bofur's voice cut her off from her thoughts. She gratefully accepted the rations from her spot by the fire.

"Thank you, Bofur."

The hatted dwarf winked and raised a flask in her direction. "It is no problem for a beauty like yourself, Milady."

She laughed as Bifur gave a swift punch to his shoulder, before speaking to his cousin in the brash dwarvish dialect.

From the look on Bofur's face, Bifur must not have liked him hitting on a ladylike Arathelle. She was far from a dwarrowdam she supposed, without a beard, far more thin-boned, and a wilding to boot. Thelle liked who she was, and didn't have a problem with it, but she didn't care for others critiquing her lifestyle.

"He's only upset with Bofur for how he's treating a lady like yourself, you know." Nori had leaned over to speak softly to the ranger, obviously having picked up on her slight distress. "Bifur likes ya, don't worry bout that."

She smiled softly. "Thank you, Master Nori."

The stew was completely delicious, Thelle noted, as she spooned some in her mouth. Nori was doing the same at her side, having been already given a helping from his older brother, Dori. They chatted amiably as they ate, as Thelle was interested to learn some of the secrets of his sneaking about.

Dori quickly turned to see his brother sitting close to her and hurried over to their side. "Is my brother causing you any trouble, Milady? I know sometimes he may be a bit much—"

A laugh escaped her lips. "Nori is being an honorable dwarf, do not worry," she insisted. "He's only helping me know what is true and what has been created in my mind."

Dori nodded, seemingly pleased with the knowledge his brother wasn't up to his usual foolery. "Good. That is good indeed. Would it please you if I were to whip us up some tea? Ginger, perhaps? Or maybe chamomile?"

She quickly waved her hands to stop his fretting. "No, no I am indeed content, Master Dori. Now, I believe you haven't eaten yet. Sit down here and let me grab you something."

Ignoring his attempts to stop her, Thelle grabbed the bowl of stew that she had scarfed down and hurried over to where Bombur was still passing helpings out to different dwarves. From what she saw, Thorin was the only dwarf left who hadn't had something to eat, besides Dori and Bombur himself.

Thorin was alone, now, sitting far on the edge of the camp with his back to the others as he was sharpening his sword. The flickering flames created a divine glow that surrounded his body, causing a slight hitch her breath.

Realizing she must've been staring at his direction for too long, she quickly turned to face the rosy-cheeked dwarf who was leaning over the pot of stew.

"Bombur, I'll make sure these get brought to the others. You should eat too," she told the rotund dwarf, who grinned joyously up at her.

"Thank you, Lady Thelle. Did you enjoy the meal?"

She nodded whole-heartedly. "Be assured that you make some of the best scrap stew to ever meet my taste buds."

"Glad to hear it, lassie."

Thelle contentedly parted ways with the dwarf after grabbing two bowls of the stew and dropped one off to Dori who had thanked her profusely.

"Someone's gotta take care of the one who takes care of everyone else," she told him with a smile as he took a few bites of the stew. "If you need anything else, let me know."

Dori nodded to her with his mouth full, causing Thelle to let out an involuntary chuckle as she turned away to head over to where the silently brooding Dwarf King.

"I brought you your meal," Thelle voiced to the turned back of Thorin Oakenshield. She silently waited for his acknowledgment, which only came after a few awkward moments.

"I did not ask for you to do so," He voiced, not bothering to face her as he continued to sharpen his sword. "I am not hungry."

"A warrior like yourself should know the importance of eating every meal that you are offered."

Thorin finally turned around with an annoyed look plastered on his face. "I said I am not—"

"TROLLS!"

Thelle and Thorin both jumped up at the shout, Thelle discarding the stew to the side as she hurried over to where Fíli and Kíli ran out of the trees. "What? What happened?" Thorin demanded.

His nephews shared a slightly uncomfortable look and started to explain how the ponies disappeared and how Bilbo met them, then told everyone about how they had Bilbo scope out the area. Thelle could have facepalmed. She would have, too, if it weren't such a tense situation.

"You idiots let Bilbo go against three grown mountain trolls on his own?" She exclaimed, whirling on the princes. In her anger, she noticed Thorin's eyes widen slightly along with his nephews. Thelle assumed the rest of the company followed suit.

Fíli quickly tried to amend things. "We were going to get help—"

Thelle automatically cut him off. "You should have never let him do that. If he winds up dead, it will be on you both."

"Where is he now?" Thorin asked the boys, who were still staring at Thelle in terror. It appears they finally realized how badly they messed up.

 _Good,_ Thelle thought. _They need to learn about how their actions can affect others._

"We will show you," Fíli quickly recovered, and hurried back into the forest with the rest of the company at his heels. Kíli showed his reckless side as well, as he swiftly made his way into the front and made sure he was the one who would be the distraction.

Thelle looked on at Bilbo being held by his feet far off the ground, barely keeping a low groan from escaping. This could've all been avoided.

"Are there any more of you little fellas hiding where you shouldn't?" the troll holding a blade toward Bilbo's guts spoke.

Kíli made a move to try and enter the alcove, but Thorin and Thelle quickly held him back. "We need a plan, Princeling," she breathed. "Have patience."

"But-"

"Kíli, you distract them. The rest of us will attack from the sides, and hopefully, we will escape with Master Baggins intact," Thorin quietly voiced, as the rest of the company were staring into the small clearing where three giant trolls were holding Bilbo.

"He's lying!"

Thelle's chest tightened at seeing Bilbo squirming under their grip. "No, I'm not!"

"Hold his toes over the fire!" the same troll announced.

The company quickly moved into position. "You stay close to me, Lady Arathelle," Thorin murmured. "I don't know how you fight yet, so it would be best to stay close."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, _Majesty_."

All of a sudden, Kíli decided to make his move. He hopped out of the tree line and slashed the troll's heel, snapping the tendon and making that leg barely viable.

He then slashed down at the top of the troll's foot, successfully knocking the beast over and taking out a tree with it.

"Drop him!" Kíli barked, whipping his blade into the air defiantly to the trolls. A malicious grin slowly made its way onto his face.

Thelle sighed as the trolls merely looked at him stupidly. "You what?"

The prince let out a loud growl. "I said, _drop him!_ "

The troll holding Bilbo glared at Kíli, then promptly decided to throw Bilbo at the dwarf, knocking them both over.

 _Well, he did tell the beast to drop him,_ Thelle thought as she gripped her blade. She grabbed a short queen's sword from her thigh, dutifully waiting for Thorin to lead them in their charge.

It was then that the company, led by Thorin, jumped out of the places from the greenery and started their assault.

Thelle quickly jumped out from her position and took to making sure the younger dwarves and Bilbo remained safe. Ori was only armed with a slingshot, something that confused her, so she stuck close to his side, deflecting any swings the trolls took in their direction with her blades.

As soon as she stopped Ori from being grabbed, she took the hit for herself and pushed him to the side. A gasp of breath was the only thing that escaped her lips at the blow to the chest and let out a slight groan when she landed next to a standing Thorin.

"Are you alright?" he asked, slashing at another arm of a troll that tried to get to her again. "Arathelle, are you okay?"

Her vision cleared quickly, and she made to stand up while ignoring the burning pain in her ribs. "I'm fine."

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Bilbo cutting through the rope that held the ponies in a pen and watched as he set them free.

 _There goes a means of transportation._

Within moments, the dwarves and Thelle were backed into a corner, and she gasped when she noticed that Bilbo had been taken after all. They held him up by the arms and legs. Ready to tear him to shreds.

"Stop! Lay down your arms, or we'll rip his off!"

Thelle looked to Thorin, who wore a look of frustration openly on his face. They were defeated.

The next thing she knew, they were all tied in sacks. Laying on top of one another. Thelle, as unlucky as she was, was laying on top of the Dwarf King himself.

The trolls started discussing the different ways in which they wanted to eat the company. Thelle wasn't too pleased.

"Don't bother cooking them," one troll said. "Let's just sit on them and squash them into jelly."

"Oh, I'll turn you into jelly," she grumbled, wiggling to try and see if there were some way she could escape.

"They should be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage," another troll spoke, leaning over the fire where half the company was slowly being turned over the flames.

She squirmed some more but quickly stopped when cough from underneath her resonated in her brain. Thorin.

"Perhaps you should stop moving around, Arathelle," Thorin spoke softly into her ear. "Believe me, neither of us would like the consequences."

She choked.

 _Oh._

Thelle hardly noticed as the rest of the present company, besides herself and Thorin, started to yell insults at the trolls. It all seemed to blend together as Thorin's voice sounded into her ear, sending a chilling sensation down her spine.

"Sorry," she said, turning her head to the side to try and see his face. She couldn't tell if it was as red as hers felt.

"It's… fine. Unfortunately, there is little we can do to stop this," he told her, his mouth now grazing the side of her ear.

Bilbo's voice rang out, bringing Thelle back into reality. "Well, have you smelt them? You're going to need something a lot stronger than sage before you plate this lot up."

She stiffened in shock. What on earth was this hobbit doing?

"Traitor!" Thorin called, although Thelle only felt her face go redder at the feeling of his lungs filling up with air before he yelled. She didn't know what to make of the feelings she felt when she was moved like so.

But in a life or death situation, she figured those thoughts could wait for later.

"Shut up, Majesty," she whispered quickly.

Bilbo had stood up in the sack at this point and was now engaging in a conversation with the trolls. An actual conversation. But why?

Her gaze was drawn to the boulder behind the trolls, where the soft trickle of light started to emerge.

 _Time,_ she realized. _He's playing for time._

"The secret is to... uh… skin them first!"

The troll closest to Bilbo looked pleased with the thought. "Tom, get me the filletin' knife."

All Thelle knew was the next time they were in a situation like this, she was definitely _not_ letting Bilbo being the one doing the talking.

The troll that was named 'Tom' spoke up, "What a load of rubbish! I've eaten plenty with their skins on. Scuff them, I say, boots and all."

"Thorin, I have a knife," she whispered, tilting her head to make sure he could hear.

At the feeling of him perking up behind her, she was sure he did. "Where?"

She held her breath before responding. "Right inner thigh."

Thelle felt him freeze. "Can you not reach it?"

"My hands are stuck to my sides. And can't reach that low. If you could reach forward…"

The other troll suddenly grabbed Bombur and held him over his mouth. Thelle felt her eyes widen as her heartbeat started to pick up.

"Thorin, we'll never speak of this again, just do it," she demanded, watching as the troll was unbothered by Bombur's frantic struggling. The sound of Bofur and Bifur's angry cries rattled her very skin, and she quickly kicked back her leg to jolt Thorin into action.

"Now, your Majesty!" she hissed.

She felt his chest stiffen underneath her as she felt his arm move down below her waist. Her breathing hitched when she felt his fingers graze the top of her thigh, and she found it hard to focus on what was happening in front of them.

His fingers trailed down slowly, feeling for the blade but leaving a wake of tingling that made Thelle question her sanity.

"No, not him! He's infected!" Bilbo yelled, making everyone still. Everyone, including Thorin and his hand that was currently on her inner thigh.

"You what?"

Thorin started to move his hand again, far too slowly for Thelle's tastes.

"Yeah," Bilbo continued, as Thorin's hand finally met the blade's handle. "He's got worms in his… tubes!"

Then, with a squeal, the troll threw Bombur out of his grip and toward the company. Luckily, Thorin quickly pulled his hand back as the ginger-haired dwarf rammed right into Thelle's stomach, causing her ribs to throb in agony.

"In fact, they all have!" Bilbo added quickly. "They're infected with parasites. It's a terrible business, I wouldn't risk it. I really wouldn't."

She could hardly register the outrage from the others as the pain continued to radiate through her body.

"Bloody bastards," she groaned. Thorin didn't get the knife. She was hurt even worse. And now apparently, they had parasites.

"I don't have parasites!" Kíli yelled. "You have parasites!"

"Shut up, Kíli!" Thelle whispered as Thorin seemed to understand what was occurring. She felt something shift underneath her and heard a dull thump. Then, silence.

Suddenly, the dwarves started to agree with Bilbo.

"I've got parasites as big as my arms!"

"Mine are the biggest parasites!"

"We're riddled!"

"I'm riddled!"

"What will you have us do? Release them all?" One of the trolls asked Bilbo. "You think we don't know what you're up to? This ferret's takin' us all for fools!"

"Ferret?"

"Fools?"

Gandalf, out of nowhere, suddenly appeared at the top of the rock Thelle had eyed earlier. A grin spread onto her face. They were saved.

"The dawn will take you all!" the wizard shouted.

"Who's that?"

"No idea."

"Can we eat 'im too?"

And with a large, powerful thrust of his magical staff, the rock split into two. Shouting in pain as the light hit their skin, the trolls started to become motionless and gone was their greasy smelly hides and in place became rock.

The trolls had turned to stone.

Thelle let out a large huff and didn't even bother to care that in doing so she accidentally nestled against Thorin's chest.

They survived.


	12. the one with what is lost and then found

**The Revenge of a Huntress**

 **the one with what is lost and what is found**

Even when the dwarves and Thelle had gotten themselves back into their regular clothes and out of the sacks, laughter and gay voices continued to ring out throughout the troll camp.

Thelle smiled at the princes who were posing with each other by the trolls in various victory stances. She figured the young dwarves could do with some joy on this quest.

"It seems we have lost the ponies," Gandalf muttered, looking at the empty pen in front of them. Thelle shrugged.

"Bilbo set them free," she admitted. "At least they are alive. If they had remained in that pen, the trolls would have eaten them all for sure."

Gandalf turned to face the Huntress with a knowing grin plastered on his face. "But your horse is waiting for you, isn't it?"

" _Mithril_ knows better than to run away at the slightest bit of danger," Thelle acknowledged. "I wouldn't be surprised if she showed up somewhere along the way."

The wizard nodded as he leaned against his staff while watching the dwarves continue to revel in their slight victory. "Dwarves truly are hearty folk. Nearly were cooked to death, and here we are."

Thelle let out a laugh. "I suppose I'm starting to become partial to their presence."

Gandalf's eyes looked deeply into her own, and Thelle immediately felt like he knew something she did not, which was nothing new to the Ranger. "Good."

She didn't know what to say to that.

"It seems your dagger is going to be permanently stuck in that stone," Gandalf commented, before pointing with his staff to where her dagger was lodged in the leg of the troll named Tom.

"Of bloody course it is."

Gandalf followed her as she made her way to where her brother's blade was stuck. She quickly tried to pull the blade loose, using her leg as a support against the stone, but she had no luck.

"That was one of your brother's blades, was it not?"

Thelle nodded. "It was indeed."

The wizard nodded, peering down to look at the hilt in a curious manner. "Was this a family heirloom?"

She clenched her teeth. "Yes, Gandalf, it was."

"Perhaps it's time to pave your own path, isn't it?"

Thelle met the wizard's eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Where did you go to if I may ask?"

The sound of Thorin's deep voice caught the Ranger off guard, sending a deep blush to her cheeks. Gandalf looked at her curiously before looking to the dwarf.

"To look ahead."

He walked around Thelle with the guidance of his staff, before facing the dwarf with his hand on the loop of his belt. Thelle slowly started to turn around to face the dwarf king, steeling herself with an unnatural cool.

She could look him in the eye.

 _Yes, she definitely could._

"What brought you back?"

Thorin smiled and nodded to Thelle in regard to her presence, to which she nodded back. The tension radiating between the two was so tight, Gandalf could probably break it with his staff.

"Looking behind," Gandalf sighed, looking back at the trolls. "Nasty business. Still, though we are all in one piece."

The dwarf king looked up at the wizard with a raised brow. "No thanks to your burglar," Thorin commented.

Thelle gaped. "Certainly, no thanks to you, either, _Dwarf King_."

Thorin's sharp blue gaze turned to her. "And certainly, no thanks to the Ranger either. Perhaps we should question the meaning behind having them on this quest."

Gandalf quickly cut in, "If I may add that Bilbo had the nuance to play for time." He leaned down with slightly raised brows. "None of the rest of you thought of that."

The dwarf nodded, looking down with a slight smile. Even he could not deny the fact that Bilbo was swift on his feet with a quick wit to match.

Thelle was still slightly seething from Thorin's behavior, but one look from Gandalf made her change her mind about starting something.

"They must've come down from the Ettenmoors," Gandalf commented, looking on to the stone trolls that the others were still waltzing around.

Thelle frowned. "That is troubling."

"Since when did the mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin asked, gaining their attention.

Gandalf shook his head slowly. "Not for an age," he explained. "Not since a darker power ruled these lands."

Thelle felt the blood move from her face. "Are you sure?"

The wizard nodded gravely. "Quite."

Thorin looked between the two with troubling curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Thelle immediately tore her gaze from his before looking at Gandalf with pursed lips. _Should we tell him?_ The widening of the wizard's eyes was all the answer that she needed.

"They could not have traveled in daylight," Gandalf moved on, looking back up at the stone figures with slightly squinted eyes.

Thorin immediately stilled. "There must be a cave nearby."

The dwarf immediately moved away, ready to gather up the rest of the company to venture on to the hoard. "It won't be far from here," he explained. "There might be some things we need that the beasts have collected over time."

The company quickly gathered their things, before following Thorin who started to track his way through the forest. Luckily the mountain trolls weren't the stealthiest of creatures, so it was relatively easy for them to find their way to the cave where their collection was stashed.

And besides, the closer they got, the more they could smell the stench.

"I hate trolls," Thelle muttered from her position between the two princes.

Fili raised an eyebrow. "Do you have common run-ins with trolls on your travels, Lady Thellie?"

She let out a dry laugh. "Only once or twice, princeling. Have you ever seen a troll before last night?"

The Durin princes seemed to share a look around her. "Not once have we seen a troll before," Kili spoke. "It was quite an interesting sight."

The sides of her mouth tilted upwards. "Yes, they really are quite ugly, are they not?"

Kili snorted. "I think ugly is too nice of a word for those things, Lady Thellie."

Fili chuckled at her other side. "You're right, Kee. Trolls are definitely one of the nastiest sorts."

Thelle shrugged. "You boys will be surprised at what might await us on the rest of this journey if you find trolls to be so terrible."

"You're right," Fili acknowledged. "At least they were stupid."

She nodded along with the other prince. "Yes, they are quite stupid. But we were the ones who were almost eaten, so what does that say about us?"

The duo looked at each other in shock, stunned speechless. Thelle grinned at the two young dwarves before heading farther ahead into the company, finding herself making pace with Gandalf.

She must have reached the front of the company at the right time, as she was suddenly able to see the cave. As they moved closer, a sinking feeling fell into her stomach. "Poor Old Sal," she mumbled, seeing his decaying headless body in the lip of the cave.

"Who?" She heard from behind and turned to see Thorin with his head tilted slightly to the side.

"The farmer… from where we had made camp earlier, his body lies in this cave."

Thelle stiffened when his large hand came to rest on her shoulder. "I will see to it we give him a proper burial."

Her unease immediately swept away. "Thank you, Thorin," she said softly. "That would be appreciated greatly."

Their eyes locked.

"What is that stench?"

They quickly jumped away from each other, seeing the rest of the company had made their way ahead of them and started into the cave. Thorin and Thelle both grabbed a torch from Dwalin on their way into the darkened cave.

"It is the troll hoard," Gandalf spoke. "Be careful of what you touch."

Thelle nodded in agreement. "Some things in here might be cursed."

Thorin looked at her oddly. "Do you truly believe in those things?"

"Considering the dwarves place immeasurable value in a pretty stone, that is rich coming from you."

The dwarf grunted with a roll of his eyes. "Nori, Dori, Bofur—see to it that the dead are properly buried," Thorin ordered, moving away from her.

She figured Thorin and his many moods should be studied by a healer. The Dwarf King's wild range of moods is probably not the healthiest course of action for a ruler.

But then again, dwarves have always been quick to anger. Especially the sons of Durin.

Thelle looked around at the various treasures in the cave, and there was something glinting in the pale light that caught her eye. It was a ring.

She quickly picked it up and rubbed the dirt and grime off of the golden sides. A large sigil that she didn't recognize was laid on its middle, adorned with rubies, sapphires, and diamonds.

"That is the sigil of the House of Elros," Gandalf commented, making Thelle jump in surprise. "It has been a great many years since eyes have lain on such a particular prize."

"The House of Elros?"

The grey wizard nodded intently. "Indeed. They were the Kings of Númenor, the great kings of old."

Thelle slowly twirled the ring around with her fingers. "It's quite beautiful."

Gandalf leaned down behind her and whispered into her ear, "It belongs to you, now, _Daughter of Islidur_."

A strong wind gusted into the cave at the same moment Gandalf spoke, sending shivers down her spine. Perhaps this was fate after all.

"It is said that things of old will come to you when you need it most," Gandalf continued. "Take care to remember that."

"I will."

She slipped it onto her pointer finger and stared in awe as it glistened underneath the light of the fire.

"It seems it was made for you, Milady," Gandalf noted with a twinkle in his eye. "Mayhaps this is when you will need it most."

Thelle rolled her eyes at the old wizard. "Or maybe this is all a coincidence."

He leaned against his staff. "You and I know the line between coincidence and fate is very thin."

She hummed in response, turning to look and see what the others were doing. A small chuckle escaped her lips when she saw a few of the dwarves making a "long term deposit," and were burying some of the hoard's treasure.

"These swords were not made by any troll," Thorin's voice spoke just behind the Ranger and wizard, who turned to see the dwarf holding swords covered in cobwebs in his hands.

Gandalf immediately went to reach for one of the blades, and slowly took it out of its sheath. "Nor were these made by any man."

Arathelle's eyes went wide at Gandalf's revelation, "These were forged in Gondolin, by the High Elves in the first age."

Thorin looked at the blade in slight disgust at the knowledge that elves, obviously his worst enemy, were the ones who forged such a blade. Thelle bit her tongue to keep her from snapping at the King's stubbornness.

"You could not ask for a finer blade."

Apparently, Gandalf couldn't help himself.

The dwarf did not respond and chose to unsheathe the blade even further to see its make. Thelle knew that a dwarf would be intrigued by the sheer detail of the elves, especially during their height of power in the first age. Even Thorin would not be able to deny that it was a strong blade.

Thelle had to hold back a laugh when she saw Thorin force himself to choose between his pride and prejudice or what he knew to be right. Apparently, he wasn't as stubborn as she thought, as he took the blade with him when he slowly made his way back through the cave without another word.

"This is for you."

Thelle looked to see Gandalf holding a dagger with a small smile. It immediately reminded her of the one she had lost in the troll's leg.

She quickly grabbed the dagger from his grasp and looked at the blade suspiciously. There were different markings from the one she had been gifted from Arathorn, but the make was still quite elvish. It wasn't adorned or crested in jewels as a queen's dagger would have been and seemed to have been made for stealth or keeping as a hidden blade. "Where did you find this?"

Gandalf's smile turned into a mischievous grin. "It was with the others." He paused slightly. "I know it is not the same as the blade your brother gave you, but it is a good one nonetheless."

Thelle nodded, swinging the dagger around in the air to test her grip. "This is beautiful, it is perfectly balanced yet strong for a blade its size."

"I would think it would even be strong enough to hold up against an ax," Gandalf commented, drawing the eyes of a few dwarves at the mention of their preferred weapon.

Thelle placed the weapon along her belt with a toothy grin. "You have my thanks, Gandalf."

"Let's get out of this foul place," Thorin's voice echoed through the cavern. "Bofur, Dori, Nori, let's go."

The company quickly followed their leader out of the cave, and Thelle had to admit she was pleased to be able to escape the hideous stench of the place. Gandalf was slower to leave, and when she turned to see what was holding him up, she saw him holding a small queen's sword.

Thelle had to fight a smile at Gandalf's care for the small hobbit. It was quite adorable, really.

"Bilbo," Gandalf called, urging the hobbit to come closer and see what the wizard had for him. "Here, this is about your size."

"I-I can't take this."

Gandalf refused to give up. "The blade is of elvish make which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby."

"I…" Bilbo looked at the company before turning back to Gandalf. He spoke lowly, "I've never had to use a sword in my life."

"And I hope you never have to. But remember this: true courage about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

Thelle's chest became tight at the wizard's words. What did that mean for her then? Going on a vicious hunt for the beast that killed her brother—that took her family away from her? Was she just a coward, slaughtering anything in her path that kept her from getting what she wanted?

Luckily, Thorin didn't allow her to think any more on such dark thoughts. "Something's coming!" the Dwarf King called, hurrying around the others to find a better position to ready himself.

Gandalf quickly broke away from Bilbo, who was left watching everyone with wide eyes. "Stick together! Prepare yourself!"

"Bilbo stick close to me, my friend," Thelle spoke as she hurried with the hobbit toward the others. "I will protect you."

The hobbit gulped visibly. "I will."

Bilbo and Thelle took a spot next to the princes and made sure the hobbit remained between Fili and herself. She quickly drew her bow and pointed to where she heard a faint rustle in the green and saw Bilbo draw his new blade from the corner of her eye.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!"

An air of confusion immediately swept over the company, save for Thelle and Gandalf.

An old man burst through the tree line while riding on the back of a sled that was pulled by rabbits. She knew he was very proud of his rabbits but couldn't remember what kind they were. Obviously, they were strong enough to pull a man, so she had to give them some credit.

He was wearing an old brown robe, and rode with his wooden staff, that was curved at the top and held a gem that radiated a powerful blue glow. The hat he always wore adorned his head, but something white had crusted over on his cheek and beard.

When Thelle realized what the white substance was, she had to hold in a gag.

However, the Ranger merely rolled her eyes at the dramatic display as Gandalf moved toward his fellow wizard. "Radagast, what on earth are you doing here?"

"Who is that?" Kili asked his brother, who shrugged while looking at the brown wizard in slight disgust. Thelle couldn't blame him, as she noticed some bird shit glistening on Radagast's face.

"His name is Radagast the Brown," Thelle told the princes. "He is another wizard that protects Middle Earth."

"Gandalf, something's wrong- something's terribly, _terribly_ wrong."

Gandalf was merely bemused at his antics. "Yes?"

The company listened raptly, waiting for the Brown wizard's reply.

"Oh… I had a thought, and now I've lost it! It was right there and… it was on the tip of my tongue! Oh…"

Gandalf looked at Radagast more closely. "Oh, it wasn't a thought at all." The brown wizard stuck out his tongue and Thelle groaned. "It was a stick insect."

"Lady Thellie, how exactly do you know that fella?" Ori asked, looking at the brown wizard with horrified awe.

She shrugged. "I've met him a few times on my travels."

"Oh, Lady Huntress, it is a pleasure to see you again!" Radagast exclaimed as soon as he laid eyes on another familiar face. "This is good, very good. Gandalf, Huntress, I will need to speak with you both…" he looked at the rest of the company with a slight tinge of worry, " _alone_."

Thorin had edged closer to where they stood and looked at them expectantly. "What is it?"

Gandalf sighed and gave Thorin a slightly annoyed look. "We will be back soon."

Thorin looked over to Thelle, who gave him a slight smile in response to his confusion. "All is well. Do not worry, Thorin, Radagast is a friend to us."

He rolled his eyes. "I am not worried."

Thelle raised a brow. "Then why do you look it?"

Thorin's eyes narrowed. "You are only seeing what you wish to see, Lady Arathelle."

"Whatever you say, your _Majesty_."

The all-powerful and seasoned warrior, Thorin Oakenshield, spluttered. His wide eyes said it all for the Ranger.

With a grin, she twirled around and followed the two wizards away from the company. Her grin only widened when she heard, "How does she do that?" echoing behind her.


	13. the one with a chase of orcs and wargs

**The Revenge of a Huntress**

 **the one with a chase of orcs and wargs**

Gandalf had already started on his pipe and was leaning against his staff while Radagast was pacing around frantically. Thelle didn't know how to read the situation.

"The Greenwood is _sick_ , my friends."

Thelle and Gandalf shared a look. _It was worse than she thought._

"Darkness grows over it! Nothing grows there anymore. At least, nothing good." Gandalf started pacing, and Thelle took a deep breath to try and center herself. "The air is fouled with decay, but what's worse is the webs!"

"Webs? What do you mean?" Gandalf asked.

Thelle turned away from the wizards, deep in thought. Perhaps she could send out a few Rangers to see what was going on, and hopefully, they could discover how to put an end to this darkness. The Greenwood was a popular trail for trade—if darkness took control of that, many peoples would be cut off.

Middle Earth could find themselves in a decline.

"Spiders, my friends. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of the mangalians. I found out, and I followed their trail…"

Thelle snapped her head to see what Radagast was struggling with. The answer was not good. "They came from Dol Goldur."

"Dol Goldur?" She gasped. "But the elf fortress is abandoned."

For the first time in all the years she knew the brown wizard, a light of fear emulated from his eyes. "No, my friends. It is not."

Thelle's eyes widened, and her legs started to weaken where she stood. She knew that the time was coming where evil would come back and rise again, but this was too soon. Far too soon. They were not ready.

"A dark power dwells in there, such as I have never felt before… it is the shadow of an ancient horror. One that can summon the spirits of the _dead_."

Thelle took a few steps back and leaned against a tree to try and support herself. _This was too soon. We are not ready…_

"I saw him, my friends… stepping out of the shadow… a _Necromancer_ has come."

Her thoughts immediately went to her niece and nephew. Were they safe? Were they protected from this darkness? She was going to have to warn them of this danger. Their line was in greater peril then it has been before.

"A Necromancer," Gandalf spoke, stepping closer to the brown wizard hesitantly. "Are you sure?"

If Thelle didn't believe Radagast by the sheer terror that seemed to run through his veins, she definitely did when she saw what he pulled out from his cloak.

Thelle could only look at the blade Gandalf held in his hands in horror. "That is not from the world of the _living_ ," Radagast commented, peering between the two with his beady eyes.

 _The end of times is coming upon us._

A distant growl threw Thelle out of her thoughts, and from years of being a Ranger she was quickly on guard. "We must hurry to the others!" She exclaimed, pulling out her bow once more.

She ran toward the dwarves and Bilbo, knowing that the wizards would be able to handle themselves in any fight. But not all the dwarves were warriors. They were going to need her help.

"Are there wolves out there?" Thelle heard Bilbo ask, and urged herself to head toward him even faster.

"Wolves?" Bofur voiced. "That was no wolf, laddie."

A growling noise had everyone looking up at the drop off slowly.

A warg.

Thelle immediately downed the beast with a single arrow through its eye socket, going right through into its brain. Thorin, who had his sword at the ready, looked at her with slight awe before turning to see another warg coming at them from the right.

"Kili!" He yelled, "Take it down!"

Kili quickly shot an arrow, which hit its neck, but it wasn't a quick enough kill for the beast. It snapped at some of the company from his position on the ground, but Dwalin made quick work of killing it with one of his axes.

"Warg scouts!" Thorin grunted, kicking at the dead warg in front of him in anger. "Which means an orc pack isn't far behind."

"Orc pack?" Bilbo squeaked. Thelle reached around to place a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Who did you tell about this quest beyond your kin?" Gandalf thundered, staring down the Dwarf King with only the strength a wizard as he could possess.

Thorin looked as though he was ready to fight at such an accusation. "No one," he barked.

"Who did you tell!"

"No one, I swear!" Gandalf reared back, looking around at all the dwarves in the company. They were trustworthy, Thelle didn't believe any would be able to form such a betrayal. "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"We're being hunted," Thelle spoke for the wizard, grabbing her things and getting ready to leave. "We need to leave."

"Were you the one who betrayed us?" Dwalin asked, his eyes like daggers pinning her to her spot.

Thelle could barely hold back her rage. "I did not even tell my kin, dwarf! I've had years of keeping secrets under my belt, why would I lose my honor over this one?"

The dwarf growled slightly, but was stopped at Gandalf's voice, "I would trust her with my life, Master Dwalin."

"We have no ponies," Ori pointed out. "They've already bolted!"

Thelle bit her lip. Dwarves could move quickly, but there was no way they'd be able to safely escape from the wargs. They were simply too fast, and too good of trackers.

"I'll draw them off!" Radagast exclaimed, moving to get back onto the sled.

Gandalf looked at his fellow wizard in shock. "Those are Gundabad wargs, they'll outrun you!"

"And these are Rhasgobel rabbits," Radagast spoke proudly. "I'd like to see them try."

Without another word, they quickly headed off in separate ways.

The company ran out of the woods and hurried out to go behind a large rock in the terrain. Thelle knew where Gandalf was taking them, but she also knew that if Thorin found out—someone might be meeting Mandos's gates earlier than they thought.

"He must be completely off his rocker," Bilbo muttered, seeing Radagast egging the Orc pack on while making them follow him in wild formations.

"I've learned long ago to not question his mental state," Thelle told the hobbit breezily. "There are some things that I really would rather not know."

"Go!" Gandalf called, and the company immediately ran in the direction Gandalf was going. Thorin was at the front with some of his strongest warriors, so Thelle decided to stay near the back, just in case a stray warg or orc tried to pick anyone off.

Bilbo was straining to keep up, but Thelle placed a hand on his back and kept pushing him forward. "Keep going, Bilbo!"

They found themselves standing in the middle of tall grass, though perfectly visible to any orc and warg. "Stay together! Move!" Gandalf called, heading the other direction. Thelle waited for the others to get ahead with her bow at the ready.

"Arathelle, move!" She didn't question Thorin's yell. She turned and ran with the company, however, kept her bow in hand. "What were you doing, you could've been seen!" he yelled as he ran with her.

"I was making sure no one was going to kill us, your Majesty!"

She swore the Dwarf King rolled his eyes as he ran through the rest of the group and back to the front. They rounded behind another large rock, and Thelle gasped when Ori started to overrun their cover.

"No-"

"Ori, no!"

Thorin noticed Ori as well and quickly yanked the young dwarf back behind the large boulder, and the company took a second to regroup. "Are you okay, Bilbo?"

Bilbo looked up at Thelle with wide eyes. "I'm alive so I think that's enough for now."

She chuckled. "Good. Make sure you stay that way."

Gandalf looked and saw that Radagast had driven the orc pack from sight, so they started to move once more. This time, Gandalf and Thorin waited for the others to move first, and Thelle could hear them speak.

"Where are you leading us?"

Thelle, having known Gandalf for many years, knew that he looked too sheepish to mean any good. She knew Thorin couldn't find out about where they were heading, or his stubbornness might be the death of them all.

"Just come on, _Majesty_ ," she told him as she walked past the two. "He's keeping us alive."

Thorin grabbed Thelle's arm, drawing her to a halt. "You are hiding something from me." She yanked out of his grip but didn't answer. "I will find out, and if it is anything that endangers this company, you both will pay for it."

She nodded. "Understood. Now let's go before it's too late."

Thorin quickly passed her with Gandalf, who both took to lead the company with their long strides. Thelle made sure Bilbo was keeping up once more, but the growling and howling from the wargs most likely kept Bilbo from slowing down.

"Hide!" Gandalf shouted. "Quickly!"

Thelle noticed that Radagast had led the orc pack directly in their line of sight—and if they could see the pack, then the pack could see them as well.

They swiftly took shelter beneath a smaller stone drop in the terrain and were forced to huddle close together to avoid being seen. Thelle found herself between Thorin and Bilbo, who were both stiff as boards.

But Thelle was ready. She was done being the prey, and she was ready to start hunting.

They heard the sound of an orc riding a warg slowly edge upon the drop-off, where they were located. Thelle readied her bow at the sound of the orc unsheathing his blade and looked to Thorin to see him nodding at Kili.

Thelle inwardly groaned—it wasn't that Kili was a bad shot, it was that she knew she was better, and they had to kill these things quickly and silently.

But that wasn't what happened.

Kili quickly took aim and hit the side of the warg, sending the beasts crumbling down in front of the company. The warg let out a dying shriek that echoed across the valley, and Thelle quickly leaped around the orc to slit its throat.

A quick death.

The company fought the orc that let out a series of grunts and growls, which was too much for her taste. Knowing that she had to make quick work of the thing, she lunged onto its back and used her dagger to slit its throat as well.

When the orc dropped dead, she was kneeling on its back.

The rest of the company looked at her as though they had never seen such a thing before, but Gandalf was completely unfazed. The howling only got closer.

"They're coming!" Thelle warned, bounding off the dead orc and looked to Gandalf. "We need to move!"

Gandalf quickly led the way away from the orcs, and through more grassy rolling hills. They were getting nearer to the hidden entrance, but Thelle knew they were probably going to have to make a stand. She readied her bow and took a breath before stopping to listen to where they were coming from.

"Thellie, what are you doing? Run!"

She ignored Fili, and instead focused her hearing to discover that the pack had split. They were planning an ambush—and given how close they were to the entrance it was most likely going to be by the hill they needed to go to.

 _Manwë, give me strength._

"They've split up!" She yelled forward to the rest of the company. "Prepare for an ambush!"

"Stick together!" Gandalf yelled.

As soon as she saw the orcs approaching the company from behind, she let arrows fly. Having been trained by the elves, she was quick and precise, nearly perfect at shooting from this distance.

"Kili! Shoot them!" Thelle heard Thorin yell and heard another arrow being shot. It wasn't in the same direction that she was shooting, so at least the young prince was able to think on his toes.

"We're surrounded!" Fili yelled to the rest of the company. "Tighten up!"

Thelle started to take steps backward, never losing sight on the approaching riders. In no time at all, she found herself close to the rest of the company, all completely surrounded by the remaining orc riders.

"Where's Gandalf?" someone asked, and Thelle was close enough to hear Thorin growl in response.

"He's abandoned us! Hold your ground!"

 _Stupid dwarf._

Thelle pointed her arrow at a few approaching riders, who were slowly stalking forward like a lion to its prey. They were playing with them, trying to entice fear. This wasn't some blind orc attack—this was planned.

 _But by who?_

"This way, you fools!" Gandalf called from the opposite direction Thelle was facing. She knew she was the farthest away from the wizard and planned to keep it that way. Kili and she were the only ones who could shoot at a distance, so they needed to hold the line. She looked at the prince and made sure to catch his eye with a slight nod.

"Run!" Thorin yelled, and the rest of the company headed toward the cavern entrance when Thelle and Kili slowly made their way back and shot any orc rider down that approached.

"Kili! Move!" Thorin called to his nephew, before slicing at a warg that had escaped the clutches of its dead rider. "Go, now!"

Kili turned and ran toward the entrance, and Thelle made to follow but stopped when she saw an orc rider quickly approaching the princeling from the side.

"Kili, move!" She yelled, before taking a few steps and launching an arrow at the orc, killing it with one hit to the head.

He scurried to the entrance, but as soon as Thelle reached back to grab another arrow, she realized she had run out. And the bloodthirsty rider-less warg was gaining on him.

"NO!" Thorin yelled, just as the warg made to lunge. Thelle quickly pushed the prince out of the way and managed to take the hit in the process.

She felt a claw dig into her right side and left shoulder then looked up to see she was face up underneath a warg that looked like it was about to bite her head off. Its breath smelt of rotting flesh, and bloody drool dripped onto her clothes.

"Arathelle! No!"

Thelle heard Thorin's voice and the sound of rushing footsteps, but it did little to help. Shaking herself out of her shock, she was quick to act.

The Ranger grabbed the dagger he had gotten from the troll hoard from its place around her belt and slit the beast from its gut to its neck before rolling out from underneath its grasp. She felt someone grab her bad shoulder and let out a blood curdling scream in protest as darkness started to fade into her view.

"I've got you."

Thelle let herself be taken into the arms of the Dwarf King, who ran back to the cave and slid inside. She groaned as Oin immediately started to probe her injuries with aggressive touches, and found it was getting harder to focus on the world around her.

"She-She saved me," Kili gasped to her side, and Thelle's eyes moved slowly to see that he had Fili's arm around his shoulder and Dwalin gripped the lad tight on his other.

"She will be fine if we can get proper medical supplies, but we don't have any at the moment I'm afraid," Oin voiced, looking above her head at someone behind her.

"I will take her," Thorin's voice rumbled through his chest. "We must move."

Thelle heard the distant sound of the Elvish war-horn and smiled bloodily at the sound. _Thank the Valar for the elves._

However, Thorin's face showed that he thought otherwise.

She barely felt being moved as Thorin thrust her away from the cave entrance and saw that an orc had taken her place mere seconds later. The Dwarf King moved to take the arrow from the orc's neck and grunted.

"Elves."

Thelle noticed someone was helping her get up from off the ground and saw Kili holding her up along his side. "I owe you my life," he told her.

"It was nothing," she rasped, folding in on herself while gripping at the wound on her side.

"I do not see where this way goes!" Dwalin yelled from farther down the cavern. "Do we follow it?"

Even in her state, Thelle did not notice the look shared between Thorin and Gandalf. _Yes, someone is definitely going to be meeting the gates of Mandos when he discovers our destination._

"We follow it," Thorin announced to the company, who then eagerly started forward. It seemed that they were all ready to get away from this place, no matter where they were headed. Thelle shared the same sentiment.

The first step Thelle took was pure agony, and she bit her lip to hide a groan. She focused on trying to hide her pain from the prince who was leading her forward, but unfortunately, she didn't do as good at hiding it as she thought.

"I will take her," Thorin spoke, before lifting her into his arms again as he did before. And now that she was in her right mind, she was absolutely _mortified._

Thorin obviously took her unease as being caused by a lack of trust, and said, "I will not drop you, don't worry."

Thelle glanced up slowly, eyeing the way his clothes did little to hide the strength that lay underneath. "I trust you," she said softly.

A lilt of a smile appeared on his face. "Good." She saw the frown that quickly took its place when he saw the slow blinks that overtook her eyes. She was getting to be so tired… "Arathelle, you must stay awake."

Gandalf peered over the dwarf's shoulder. "We must hurry, she is losing too much blood."

Thelle groaned at the jolting that she felt when the Dwarf King picked up his pace into a jog. "I'm fine…" she closed her eyes and leaned her head onto Thorin's chest. "I've 'ad worse 'fore."

Thorin jolted her out of her daze with a light shake. "Stay awake, we are almost—"

Her eyes closed even further.

"This was your plan all along? To seek refuge with our enemy?"

Thelle let out a groan.

"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill will you will find here is that which you bring yourself," Gandalf's voice cautioned.

"You think the elves will give our quest their blessing? They will only try to stop us."

"Majesty," Thelle croaked as she opened her lids slightly. She could see the betrayal that was plain as day on his face and narrowed her eyes as best she could. " _Shuddup_."

That took as much effort as she could give, and her eyes slipped closed as she heard a light chuckle ring from Gandalf. "We need their help, Thorin. _She_ needs their help."

She heard Thorin make to reply but was unable to focus on what he said. Instead, she welcomed the darkness with the last thought of how comfortable she was in his arms.


	14. the one with elvish healing

**The Revenge of a Huntress**

 **the one with elvish healing**

Thorin didn't know what to do.

The all-powerful Dwarf King would never admit to such a thing, and the Blacksmith would be the one to admit that he knew he was lost. However, while holding the body of the Lady Arathelle in his arms, he discovered that he was neither of those dwarves.

He was Thorin, not the King and not the Blacksmith. He was the Uncle of Fili and Kili, bonded brother to Dwalin and Balin, cousin to Oín and Gloin. And he was currently at a loss as to how he had allowed the woman to place herself in danger to save one of his own kin in the first place.

After reaching the steps of the home of the _elves_ , he was immediately greeted by an elf with long, dark hair who wore concern in his eyes. " _Faradielle_ has returned!" he gaped, looking down at the woman in Thorin's grasp. "What happened to her?"

 _Who is Faradielle?_

Thorin could feel the unease from the rest of his company flowing in waves and steeled himself for his conversation with this untimely elf. Couldn't he see that she needed to be helped? Why were they halted at the entrance? Are elves not supposed to be renowned healers?

Luckily before Thorin could say anything, as it would most likely not be anything diplomatic or polite, Gandalf stepped in and immediately took control of the situation. "The Lady Huntress needs a healer," the wizard spoke, as his eyes peered around the elf to look at the other elves who were watching the group in curiosity. "Where is Lord Elrond?"

"Are we some sort of show for these elves?" Dwalin muttered in his ear. "Why are they looking at us like we're their next entertainment?"

Thorin shook his head. If someone did not bother to help in seconds, he would—

"Oh no! It's true!"

" _Calad_ , wait!"

Everyone looked at the commotion to see two young humans hurrying down the steps toward the dwarves. Dwalin immediately went to grab for an ax, followed by the rest of the company, but Gandalf held up a hand. "Hold, Master Dwarves. They are not a threat."

Thorin was confused as a woman with hair as dark as the one in his arms and skin pale and untainted save for a wicked-looking scar running across her neck. " _Estel_ , I was right! It _is_ her!" the woman, Calad, called as she journeyed closer to them.

As soon as she was near enough to touch Lady Arathelle, she looked down at Thorin with a thankful glance. "Thank you for helping her, Master Dwarf," she spoke, before looking down at Arathelle intently and running a hand across her forehead. "She needs medicine, and we can provide. We must bring her to the healing halls."

 _Was this woman some sort of healer?_

The man quickly came to a stop beside her, towering over Calad easily by a few inches. He had a gypsy look in his eye and looked rugged enough to remind Thorin of the man who stood beside Arathelle in the picture at her lodgings.

"I can bring her there," he spoke while asking Thorin to give him Arathelle.

"I will not so easily hand over a member of my company," Thorin immediately snapped at the two humans, who now wore frowns on their faces.

"Thorin Oakenshield, I do not think you understand-" Gandalf began, only to be cut off by Calad who now had an odd look in her eye.

"I think he understands plenty, Mithrandir," she spoke, before turning back to Thorin in determination. "You must follow me, Master Dwarf, I will show you the way to the healing halls."

"Oi, Lassie, there is no way I'm gonna let you take my king anywhere in this trap alone," Dwalin grunted, holding his ax in hand.

"You must understand we are short on time, Master Dwarf," the man spoke boldly. "Perhaps one of you can come with us to guarantee his safety."

"But what will the rest of us do here?" Gloin asked, looking mighty peeved at the pretense of their situation. "Ye cannot just expect us to-"

"I offer you food and housing for as long as you need," a melodious voice broke through Gloin's rough one, drawing eyes up to see an elf maid with long dark hair and deep blue eyes standing gracefully at the middle of the steps. She seemed to be the epitome of perfection. "However, the Lady Faradielle needs healing so we must act with haste."

Thorin was in awe at the light that seemed to glow off from her, entranced by the natural beauty that this creature contained. He held no feelings of desire or romance for her but was indeed curious as to who this Lady was to speak so confidently in their presence.

"Milady, we were going to wait-" the elf they had first met started but was cut off as she held up a hand.

"We must help these travelers, Lindir," she spoke. "It is what my father would wish, and it is what I wish."

The dwarves quickly agreed that Fili, Balin, and Oín would go with Thorin to bring Arathelle to the healing halls, and they hurried after the two humans and the elf maiden to get there. On their way, Calad and the man were speaking in hurried elvish, however, the maid remained silent.

Thorin suddenly found himself wishing that he would have paid more attention during his lessons as a dwarfling. One of his grandfather's advisors spoke Sindarin and had tried to teach him, but as a young dwarf, he wanted nothing to do with it.

 _If only then could he have seen the wisdom to be able to know what they speak of in their halls._

Gandalf had stayed behind to wait for the Lord of the House, who Thorin believed to be named Lord Elrond. He once remembered his grandfather speaking of his trade with the elves of Rivendell, but that was centuries ago.

As soon as they entered the healing chamber, Calad immediately gestured for Thorin to lay Arathelle down on the bed. "Just put her down here—yes, thank you, Master Dwarf."

Thorin held in the sigh that nearly escaped him as he saw he was covered in blood. At this point, it had seeped into his clothes and he could feel its warmth on his skin, which was an odd feeling.

"I will grab the herbs," the man spoke, rushing over to nearby cabinets and grabbing an array of different leaves that Thorin did not recognize. However, Oín seemed to have an idea of what they were doing and nodded to himself slightly.

"Their collection of herbs is impressive," the dwarven healer admitted quietly. "There are things here that come from all over Middle Earth."

"I will ask that you step outside Master Dwarves, to keep Faradielle's modesty," Calad spoke, turning to face those who followed.

"I said I wouldn't leave a member of my company, and I will not do so even now," Thorin said, rooted to his spot.

He could feel someone place a hand on his shoulder, and he quickly shrugged it off. "Uncle, perhaps we-"

"Perhaps the healer can stay and watch over my work for educational purposes," Calad insisted, looking straight at Oín while speaking.

 _How did she know that he was the healer?_

"Will that work for you, Master Dwarf?"

Thorin looked over to where the man and the Elven Lady were hunched over Arathelle and speaking quietly to each other in Sindarin. "Why must he remain?" Thorin asked, looking at the man without any trace of trust.

The man immediately flicked his head up to look Thorin in the eyes, who had to fight the urge to blink at the strength that the grey eyes held. "I am her nephew, Master Dwarf. I hardly believe that as kin and a healer I am any danger to her modesty."

Thorin paused.

 _Nephew._

Giving a glance to Calad, he finally saw the similarities were too prominent to not be a coincidence. She was Arathelle's niece. This man was her nephew.

 _Her kin._

Somehow seeing those she had spoken of so highly before overwhelmed his senses, and he was unable to speak. The Dwarf King only nodded to them and looked to Oín with a knowing look; even though they were kin doesn't mean that she wasn't in any danger.

"She'll be fine, laddie," Oín reassured him. "Go wait with the others."

Thorin hadn't even realized that the others had escaped the chambers and was entirely too confused to be any good in this situation.

Seeming to sense his disarray, the elf maiden looked at him with a kind smile. "We will let you know when you can see her, Master Dwarf," she spoke. "And your healer is right." Her smile became more pronounced, drawing light toward her form like the Valar themselves. "She will be fine in time."

Thorin nodded, grateful for the reassurance, even if it came from an elf.

 _Just this time I'll take an elf's word._

The dwarf nodded to himself once more.

 _Just this time._

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"It is nice to see you awake, Faradielle."

Thelle groaned. "I wish I could say it is nice to be awake, but I'm afraid I would be lying," she rasped, letting out a hiss as someone prodded at her wound. "How did I get here?"

Lord Elrond looked down at her with a small grin. "It seems that Thorin Oakenshield carried you here himself," he said. "He has said that you jumped in front of a warg to defend his nephew. Is that true?"

"How else would I let myself be shredded up like this?"

"Well, I thought you had gotten slow in your old age," another voice rang out, shocking Thelle immensely.

"Estel?"

A man wearing the traditional outfit of the Northern Rangers stepped out of the shadows. Thelle wasn't surprised she hadn't seen him before; she had been the one to teach him how to make the darkness his ally.

"In the flesh," he spoke, kneeling at her bedside and reaching over to hold her hand tightly. "Calad and I were worried when you arrived looking like warg dinner."

Thelle choked out a laugh. "I was worried for a moment there as well," she admitted, looking down at her bandaged wounds with distaste. "How long am I going to be like this?"

Elrond gave her a fond smile. "Do not worry, I will only keep you on bed rest for another day. Then you can slowly get back to normal with time."

She only let out another groan, but this time it wasn't because of the pain from her wounds. "Thorin is going to kill me when he finds out," she said. "I think he will even use this as an opportunity to leave me behind."

"I do not believe that will be the case, Faradielle," Elrond reassured. "The ruins that Thorin needs read are only able to be seen on one particular night, a night which is in a week's time."

Thelle smiled happily. "In that time, I'm sure I'll be fine with your help, Elrond." She paused, looking back down at her bandages with a heavy sigh. "Thank you, for healing me."

A quirky smile spread onto the Elf Lord's face. "It was not I who healed you."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wait, then who-"

"It was me, Aunt Faradielle."

A beautiful young woman walked through the doorway with an enchanting smile on her face. The same scar wrapped around her neck like a harsh reminder, but the woman's beauty did not falter because of it. Rather, it seemed that despite it, the woman had flourished.

"Calad! You healed me?"

She nodded happily to her aunt. "Lord Elrond has been teaching me his ways, as has the Lady Galadriel."

Thelle raised a brow slightly. "Then you are a lucky young woman, having such wise teachers to help you find your way."

Calad grinned, radiating a bright light just as her name would suggest. "I will always think of you to be my greatest teacher, aunt. No matter whom I end up coming across, you are the one who taught me everything I needed to know."

"Stop trying to be the favorite, Calad," Estel teased, rubbing his sister's hair mischievously. "Just because you were the one who actually healed her doesn't mean that I didn't help."

"Now, now Estel, we all know that you are a great healer yourself," Thelle spoke, patting her nephew's hand in a fond gesture. "Besides, I do not have favorites."

Calad grinned, taking a seat beside her aunt in the bed, careful to mind her wounds. "It is fine, we both know that you probably should not outright admit that I'm your favorite to keep face for Estel."

"Believe what you want, Calad. Aunt Faradielle knows the truth," Estel replied while mockingly glaring at his sister.

"What will I ever do with the both of you?"

"Surely not kill us, I hope," Calad laughed, patting her aunt on the hand lightly.

"There will be no kin-slaying going on in my halls," Lord Elrond agreed, causing the others to laugh quietly at the serious look on his face. "Now, I must go to make sure that our guests are being well acquainted with their quarters."

Elrond left the room after saying his goodbyes, and as soon as the door had shut, Thelle turned to look at her brother's children knowingly.

"I did not know that you both would be here."

Estel and Calad immediately winced at the sternness in her voice. "Well, I was making a stop in Bree and I ran into Halbarad who spoke to me about your recent stop home."

She glared at the wall. "I told him not to tell you," she mumbled grinding her teeth slightly in distaste. She couldn't condemn the man too much, knowing that he was only doing what he thought was right. It wasn't every day that a Dúnedain Chief was off riding with a bunch of strange travelers... let alone _dwarves._

"I am glad that I decided to follow and make sure that all was well because I arrived and then you arrived shortly after looking like _this,_ " Estel said, gesturing toward her bandages solemnly. "Just think what would have happened had I not been here."

"I would have been fine in the hands of the other healers, Estel," Thelle said, before taking a long sigh. "I am not upset that you are here, but I had hoped you would be doing the job I set you out to complete."

"That is the point, and why I returned to Bree," Estel explained. "I did figure out where they were going, aunt. I tracked the men that you told me to follow to the southern lands, and after knowing about the unrest between them and Rohan, I decided not to engage."

Thelle leaned back into her pillow with a deep sigh. "That was the right thing to do. We cannot involve ourselves in that crisis, or we would be spread too thin here."

Estel nodded in agreement. "That is something we will be able to discuss at our next meeting."

"However, that does not explain why Calad is here," Thelle said, turning to look sternly at her niece. "You were supposed to be in Lórien, with-"

"Arwen, I know," Calad finished, running her fingers through her hair nervously. "I had a vision, though, and I had to come back as soon as I could because I knew there was something wrong with you."

Thelle looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

Calad looked down at her hands warily. "I saw you die, Aunt Faradielle. I tried to stop it, but there was something holding me back. And what was even worse—what or rather, who, killed you... it was the white orc that you have spoken of. I _know_ it."

Thelle didn't know what to make of this information. It could have just been a bad dream or something that she had thought up in a worried state, but something like that before a quest with Thorin Oakenshield was no good omen.

"I am sure I will be fine, Calad. You needn't worry about me."

Her niece shrugged. "I know, but you have to know that it is hard to see you suffer that fate and now that I know that you are going on this quest too..."

"There are many strings being pulled," Estel continued. "We just want to make sure you are safe."

Thelle fought the urge to roll her eyes. It was moments like these where she could see the resemblance of Arathorn shining through their concern, as he had been the biggest worry-wort she had ever met.

"I will be _fine_. Of course, this quest will be dangerous, but that does not mean I will not see it through."

They nodded silently, but Thelle was wise enough to know that the matter was not settled. Not even close. They were going to hold onto this, and if she wasn't careful, they may just be plotting to join her on this quest.

The door opened before she could try to continue her comforting, and she gaped at the person, or rather, dwarf, that stood there. "Thorin," she gasped.

"Is it... not a good time?" the Dwarf King asked, looking uncomfortable as he stood there in cleaned clothes and a groomed beard.

Thelle quickly shook her head and shot her brother's children a look that said _"get out"_ faster than she has ever done before. Luckily, they hurried from their seats with knowing grins and properly acknowledged the dwarf before taking their leave.

A tense silence had filled the room with their absence.

"I am gladdened to see you are awake," Thorin spoke, breaking through the silence like an ax, as he took a few steps toward where she lay on the bed. "There was a lot of blood and I did not know how you fared."

Thelle smiled softly. "Well, I'm still alive so you cannot get rid of me that easily."

Thorin returned her smile. "I could hardly believe that I would want to get rid of a warrior like yourself."

Her eyes widened. That was definitely a change.

"In fact, I... I came here to thank you."

"Thank me? What for?"

Thorin coughed awkwardly and visibly shifted his feet under Thelle's curious gaze. "You saved Kili, the son of my sister. I owe you my life, for saving his."

She felt her breath catch in her throat. "You owe me nothing."

He shook his head. "Those boys mean more to me than all the gold and treasures of Erebor. I do believe that I owe you quite a lot, _Milady_."

A small smile snaked its way onto her face. "Well, I guess I will have to keep that in mind. You are very welcome, _Majesty_."

Thorin grinned, pleasure calming his features. She acutely noticed that when he smiled, he looked at least 70 years younger.

"That was all, so I bid you a good evening and hope to see you well tomorrow," he spoke promptly, after seeing something in her expression.

Without even waiting for her to say something in return, he hastened out of the room and shut the door after his exit.

 _What just happened?_


	15. the one with family, dwarves & fountains

**The Revenge of a Huntress**

 **-the one with family, dwarrowdams, and fountains-**

Thelle was greatly surprised when Lord Elrond allowed her to leave the Healing Halls before a full day had passed. The next morning, he allowed Estel and Calad to bring her for fresh air in the gardens, where she was currently sitting on a bench carved in white stone.

"How have the dwarves been treating you?" Estel asked, peering over to his aunt in curiosity. "They seem to be quite taken with you."

Thelle let out a sigh. "It has not always been like this, you must know. There was a time where none would speak with me-"

"Let me guess, you showed your short-fused temper?" Calad jested, hiding her smile behind her dark hair at her seat on the other side of Thelle.

Thelle let her hand roam down her face, muffling her groan. "Gandalf has already discussed this with you?"

Her brother's children looked at each other with slightly sheepish grins. "He may have let some of it escape while we were waiting for you to wake."

Thelle rolled her eyes. "There is only so much that I can keep from the two of you."

Calad let out a throaty laugh. "I doubt you'll ever be able to keep anything from us."

"Indeed, I could not think of doing such a thing."

Estel quirked an eyebrow. "So, what is going on between you and the Dwarf King? I thought he was going to run me through before he knew I am your kin."

"What happened?" Thelle gaped at her nephew, immediately thinking of the idea of Estel fighting against Thorin Oakenshield, one of the greatest dwarrow warriors of his time. "Did he threaten you?"

However, Thelle didn't notice the new light shining in Calad's eyes. "He was concerned when he discovered that Estel would be staying in the room when we healed you, and ultimately stripped you form your clothes. He was quite concerned for your virtue."

A light blush formed on Thelle's cheeks. "Females are rather important to the dwarrow kind," she explained. "There are so few female dwarves so they're naturally protective over me when things such as _that_ are in question."

Estel folded his hands in front of him in an innocent gesture. "But I believed the dwarrow were not happy that you had joined them on their quest?"

Thelle automatically stiffened. "Apparently things have changed."

Calad and Estel shared a look. "Indeed, they have."

Thelle felt herself swallow at Estel's words. " _Many_ things have changed."

Calad nodded. "And things will continue to change," her eyes glassed over as she looked out over the cliffs and into the distance. "I fear for this quest, Aunt Faradielle."

"You need to trust my words-"

"And you need to trust my sight," Calad cut her off.

Her niece's words cut into Thelle's heart like a dull blade. "I do not doubt your ability-"

"Then why do you insist that I am wrong?"

Thelle immediately turned her body to fully face her niece, who was hiding behind her locks of hair. She gently brushed a few strands back behind her ear, caressing the side of her cheek in a light, motherly touch.

Calad's eyes were lined in silver and puffed with red. Thelle felt a melancholic pull tug on her heart as she placed an arm around the younger woman and pulled her close. She let her other hand continue to caress the girl's face, and eventually linger on the long-roped scar that was permanently etched onto her neck.

Thelle remembered that this was how she comforted the girl as a child.

"It is because I have hope, _Iellig_ , that I know this journey will end victoriously."

A lone tear dropped from the pool in Calad's eye, leaving Thelle to wipe it away with her thumb. "I trust you, the both of you, with all my heart," she hummed.

"I am exhausted from watching you be murdered by the white orc in my dreams," Calad admitted with a sniffle. "Please do not die."

Thelle tightened her grip around the younger woman. "I do not think it will be the will of the Valar for my fate to end so suddenly," she said. "Even if it is destined to be so, the two of you will always have each other."

"Like you and our father before us," Estel commented, reaching an arm around his aunt to rub his sister comfortingly on the back. "We are family, and family does not leave each other so easily."

The three remained in a comforting embrace for a few moments before a thought struck Estel, who suddenly spoke with his voice cutting through the solemnity, "I discovered a few important ties to the trafficking which you may be interested in."

"What is it?" Thelle asked and slowly her grip from Calad. "What have you noticed?"

"Human men have not only been marching their coveted slaves south to the Dundanlings but have also been going across Arda to-"

"Dol Goldur?" Thelle finished, a chill running through her veins.

Estel nodded with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Well, yes, but how did you know that?"

"You are not the only one to warn me of this place."

His eyes widened slightly. "Who has spoken to you? I have told no one."

"Radagast the Brown warned Gandalf and me of such a thing only moments before we were chased by the orc pack." Thelle looked behind them to check their surroundings before continuing lowly, "He believes that the Greenwood is sick and that whatever is there is the root cause."

Estel nodded once, before leaning back in his seat with a dark look passing over his face. "They have been discreet, but there is evidence of something a lot more nefarious lurking in those lands." He looked over to her in surprise. "But you already knew of this, did you?"

Thelle turned away from her nephew, unable to hold his gaze. "Radagast also said something else," she admitted, fussing with the ring on her pointer finger. "He believes whatever has made its home there is a necromancer and has been bringing things back from the dead."

Calad stiffened at her side. "What sorts of _things,_ aunt?"

"He found the blade of the Witch King."

A harsh wind whipped through the gardens, sending their hair flying askew and a cold shiver running through their spines. "One of the Nazgul," Estel spoke, his voice deep and full of a seriousness that her brother had once possessed.

Calad's eyes shadowed over. "Saruman would be hesitant to declare such things, _gwanuig_."

He looked at her sharply. "We must be prepared."

Thelle wrapped her hand around his arm. "We will be, Estel. Do not worry."

"We will be targeted," Calad spoke, her voice wavering slightly. "The Necromancer will want to kill us, all of us, to see our bloodline destroyed."

Thelle pulled her closer to her side. "I will not let that happen, Calad. You must trust me."

Her niece's dark brown eyes looked up at her, meeting her own grey ones. _Calad is indeed Gilraen's daughter._ "How will you be able to stop us from meeting such a fate if you meet yours at the hands of the white orc as I have foreseen?"

A frown formed on Thelle's lips. "You have to have hope, darling Calad." She placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "Without hope that we will see this through, we have nothing."

The ring of the House of Elros twinkled as the gemstones were hit by the sun's rays.

" _Onen i-estel Edain_ ," Calad murmured.

Estel looked at his sister with a small smile, making tears come to Thelle's eyes at the memory of those who had passed since before their time. _Arathorn. Gilraen._

" _Chebin estel anim_ ," Estel finished.

"We will continue to give hope," Thelle spoke, hugging her brother's children close. "But we will make sure to also keep some for ourselves."

"Calad?" A soft voice asked from behind the family. Thelle stiffened and slowly withdrew her arms from their place around her kin.

Calad turned to face whoever had spoken, wiping away the rogue tears roughly with her palms. "Amara!" she exclaimed, a sheepish smile overtaking her face. "I forgot you planned to meet us, my apologies."

Thelle turned to look at the newcomer, only pausing when she saw the short red-haired dwarrowdam in front of her. She had only met one dwarrowdam in the past, as it was an odd sight to see any of them outside of the mountains. Her eyebrows were thick and luscious, and Thelle noted that her red sideburns trickled down her jaw into a plaited beard. The young maiden must have been a frequent traveler, from the wear on her leather riding gear and the rips in her boots. She looked more like a ranger than a merchant.

 _This is the dwarrowdam Halbarad had written about._

Amara shrugged, her short and strong frame slouching slightly as she placed a hand on her hip. "Don't worry bout it, I can see you were busy reconnecting with this aunt of yours."

Thelle grinned as the dwarrowdam walked up to her and gave a clumsy curtsey. "Amara, daughter of Idza, at your service."

Using Estel's shoulder as leverage, Thelle stood up and gave a shaky bow of her own. "Faradielle, of the Dúnedain, at yours."

Amara's thick lips quirked up into a mischievous smile directed to Estel, who had stood up to give his own greeting. "At least one of you knows how to properly introduce yourself."

He rolled his eyes as Calad put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. "What, the sword at your throat was not enough for you?"

Her smile widened. "Only if the ax at your gut was enough for you, my friend."

Thelle let out a coarse laugh. "Do I want to know?"

Amara giggled, meeting Thelle's eyes in mirth. "Only if you want to know a young dwarrowdam like myself took down a large warrior such as Estel, Lady Faradielle."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Don't call me a Lady, Miss Amara. I am truly anything but."

The fiery maiden merely cocked her head to the side. "Funny, you certainly look like a Lady to me."

Thelle looked down at the silk embroidered gown she wore with a grimace. "I am normally not this clean, as I prefer the life of a ranger to that of a courtier. That much is certain."

Amara laughed, bright at loud. "I agree with you, Lady Ranger. But I also know that you are the chieftain of the Dúnedain, are you not?"

Thelle rolled her eyes. "Which one of these hooligans told you this?"

Amara laughed even louder at the fake outrage plastered on both Calad and Estel's faces. "Neither, as I have heard mutterings of your adventures from those who live here. It has only gotten worse after your arrival."

Calad nodded at her aunt. "Amara's right, your appearance did spark a lot of talk among Lord Elrond's court."

Thelle groaned. "The elves need to find something else to gossip about."

Calad nodded gravely, hiding a smile with her pursed lips. "Perhaps Lord Glorfindel can stir something up to take you out of the spotlight."

Thelle laughed at the thought of the Captain of Elrond's guard doing something mischievous. She wouldn't put it past the ellon, who had once been quite the prankster during his first life. "Maybe I should speak to him on the matter."

Estel shrugged. "Or you could just have Elladan and Elrohir try and prank the dwarves- certainly that would lead to some meaty gossip."

Thelle winced. "Or it could ruin dwarf and elf relations for good." She eyed Amara curiously. "Have you had the chance to meet any of the company yet?"

The young dwarrowdam shook her head solemnly. "I have not. They have been quite reclusive since you all arrived, and have been keeping to themselves." Amara smiled sadly. "I hoped that you would introduce me."

Thelle nodded. "Of course."

"We found Amara among the aftermath of an orc raid," Estel explained, placing a hand on the young dwarf's shoulder in an offer of support. "She had just regained consciousness after being knocked out from a blow to the head."

Thelle stepped closer to eye her head carefully. "You seem to have healed well," she said, after seeing the remains of what looked to be once a large cut on the side of her scalp. "You were very lucky, Miss Amara."

Amara shuddered and a flash of anger appeared on the dwarrowdam's face, causing Thelle to eye her warily. "I do not think of myself as such," she spoke through her teeth. "My family was slaughtered in front of me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."

Estel squeezed her shoulder. "I will tell you now what I have told you before, _mellon nin_. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it."

Amara's closed her eyes tightly. "I could have-"

"No," Thelle cut her off, stepping forward to grasp the hands of the young maiden. She recognized the look Amara wore every time she looked in the mirror after her brother's death. "There was nothing you could have done, young one."

Amara took a deep, shaky breath. "I have to avenge them."

Thelle nodded in understanding. "And you will, given time." She paused. "But you must also remember to live for them," she looked at Estel and Calad wistfully. "And cherish all they left behind for you to remember them by."

Amara swallowed, looking up at the Ranger with misty eyes. "Thank you, Lady Ranger."

Thelle pulled the dwarrowdam into a warm embrace. "I am here to speak to any time, young one."

Calad smiled. "I told you that my aunt would be able to understand your predicament, _mellon nin."_

Amara glared at the woman half-heartedly as she stepped out of Thelle's arms. "I admit to nothing."

Estel laughed. "That sounds right."

Thelle looked up at the sun's placement in the sky, realizing just how late it was getting. "We need to get moving, young ones. Lord Elrond will be expecting us well-groomed at the welcoming feast for Oakenshield's Company as he has such kingly guests."

Calad grinned. "Come, Amara, my aunt and I will show you how to prepare for an event like this."

"Are you insinuating I do not know how to properly dress?"

The young woman smiled politely. "I certainly am, given your _present attire_." She looked down at the muddied clothes Amara wore with slight disgust. "You could have at least taken a bath before coming to meet with us?"

The dwarrowdam crossed her arms. "I look fine enough to do whatever it is-"

"You will change into something more appropriate," Thelle finished, looking between the two females curtly. "Lord Elrond does not tolerate riding clothes when guests are present."

"Am I not a guest?" Amara asked, throwing her hands in the air in annoyance.

Thelle put a single finger in the air. "You are indeed, however, you are not the only guest anymore, so now you will have to behave accordingly."

Calad laughed at the grim look that passed over Amara's face. "Please don't tell me I have to wear a _dress_."

"You will most likely have to do so, yes."

She ran her hands down her face. "Please kill me now."

Thelle laughed, before starting to walk out of the gardens with Estel at her side incase she needed support from her wounds. "That will not even be the worst of it, young one. Just wait until you see what they serve."

The ladies split up with Estel halfway before running into Arwen who was on her way to help them prepare for the feast. The four ended up discussing different things they would expect at the feast, as Arwen ran through the list of what her father had prepared.

"He plans on having a traditional elven meal-"

"Which will probably not go well," Thelle cut in.

Arwen narrowed her eyes at the ranger before continuing, "And he has a group of musicians who will be playing for our entertainment."

"Somehow I don't think elf musicians will be very entertaining," Amara muttered habitually before seeming to realize what she said with a blush. "My apologies, I don't mean to offend, Lady Arwen."

Arwen laughed melodiously. "Do not worry, Miss Amara, for I understand that dwarrow customs are far different than my own. In fact, I do not doubt you will find the music boring as it is not the genre you must be used to."

Amara looked almost uncomfortable at the elf's awareness. "If you say so..."

Thelle couldn't hold back her amusement. "The elves are more understanding than one may realize."

The dwarrowdam nodded silently, as they continued their journey to their rooms.

Thelle started to hear something quite peculiar, which made her stop in place. There were sounds of laughter and splashing coming from their heading, followed by a few dwarvish grunts and even more laughter.

 _What have they done now?_

Arwen looked to Thelle curiously. "What do you think it is?"

The ranger pursed her lips knowingly. "The company is up to something, and I intend to find out."

She headed forward and walked out into the courtyard ahead of her with a steely focus, only to slip from her strong mindset the moment she walked outdoors.

Her face went red.

"Oh gods-" Calad groaned, smacking her hands to cover her eyes. "I did not need to see that."

"Sweet Mahal," Amara gasped, her mouth dropping open in shock and awe.

Arwen merely closed her eyes in exasperation.

The dwarves were swimming, naked as the day they were born in the large fountain that took up the middle of the courtyard. Thelle felt herself stop short as she saw Thorin Oakenshield, standing there in all his glory.

She definitely saw all of him, if that was in question.

"Oh look! Hey Thellie!" Bofur called, waving from where he was lounging on his back in the water. "Look, lads, it's Thelle, she's up and about!"

Her eyes widened when all the other dwarrow turned to face her... and then giving her and the others complete full view of their... ahem... nether-parts.

Before she could meet any of their eyes, she quickly turned to Amara and put a hand over her eyes to keep the dwarrowdam from shamelessly looking on the princes in glee. "Stop that," she chided.

"They're the ones bathing in the fountain!"

"Doesn't mean you have to watch!"

"Oh-ho! Let her watch!" Bofur called out, grinning at the females with practiced finesse. "Who are ye, lassie? You don't look familiar!"

"She's a dwarf?" Balin's voice carried, and Thelle looked to the dwarf who was now wearing trousers in annoyance.

"I am not sharing anything with you lot until you cover-up!" She exclaimed, a sudden rush of anger taking over as she stared down the still bare Dwarf King. "You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves! Bathing naked in the fountain of another kingdom, you must be joking!"

Kili looked shocked at her anger. "We were only-"

"Oh shut up!" She yelled. "This is not something you can defend yourselves upon! Even a two-year-old wouldn't dare do something like this!"

"You're not even lettin us talk-" Gloin started.

"I don't _need_ to let you talk when you're behaving this horrible! For Valar's sake, will you find some clothes?"

Thelle ushered the other ladies out of the courtyard to continue on their way to the rooms.

"Why, lassie, you see something you like?" Nori asked coyly, flouncing himself out in front of her without any shame. "Ye know us dwarves have more to us than-"

"Nori! Enough!" Dori exclaimed, smacking the back of his brother's head.

Thelle ignored the slight blush that spread over her face at Nori's insinuation. "I have never seen something so..." she paused, catching the attention of everyone in hearing distance, " _small_ in all my life."

Calad and Amara giggled at Thelle's choice of words as she was pushing their backs to get them to leave, while the dwarrow immediately started to erupt in annoyance at her choice of words.

"You take that back!"

"I'll show you what is so small, lassie!"

"You dinnae even take a good looksie!"

"You liar!"

Thelle ruefully tried to hide the grin that crossed her face. "I will see you lot, _properly clothed_ , later!"

As she walked out of the courtyard she could still hear some wayward grumbling coming from behind her.

"I'm not... am I?"

"She's kiddin' right?"

"How would she know?"

Only when they were out of hearing distance did Thelle let out a sigh. "I was so wrong, wasn't I?" she asked aloud, ignoring the deepening blush on Arwen's face.

"Oh, you're such a liar," Calad laughed.

"If I don't marry one of those princes, I'm sure I'll die," Amara moaned.

Thelle's lips pursed slightly. "Let's just keep this between us, okay?"

The others only quietly muttered in agreement before heading into the rooms to get ready for the feast. It was evident as to what they were thinking.

 _Thelle was wrong, indeed._


	16. the one with a feast

**Revenge of a Huntress**

 **-the one with a feast-**

Thelle walked into her rooms with Arwen while Calad brought Amara to prepare separately. Apparently having Thelle and Amara together wouldn't be a good thing- which she didn't understand.

Perhaps Calad and Arwen, two more sophisticated females, thought that having two shaggy females together wasn't a good idea. But Thelle didn't care either way.

Thelle went to sit on her bed, hiding the wince when she felt a twinge of pain from her abdomen. _Note to self_ , she thought, _don't let something take a bite out of you ever again._

"I took the liberty of picking out a dress for you to wear, _mellon nin_ ," Arwen spoke, opening the wardrobe gently.

"I trust your fashion sense," Thelle told her, running a hand over her bandages and looking for something to undo them. "I need to redo these bindings before this evening."

Arwen pulled a dark blue dress out, which stopped Thelle in her tracks. "What do you think?"

Thelle immediately stood up, slowly, to try and avoid pain, and walked toward the gown in almost a daze. "This is perfect, _mellon_."

The gown was as dark blue as the night sky and had been decorated with sparkling diamonds beaded throughout the fabric. The diamonds, crafted by stress and pressure, shone brightly in the light. It was neither too much nor too little, and Thelle found herself excited to wear it.

Not that she ever thought she would be excited to wear a dress, but she decided to go with it.

"I am pleased you like it," Arwen said softly. "Let me help you with your bindings, and then we will prepare you for this evening. I have a few ideas for what to do for your hair, too."

The elleth moved to grab a stool from the vanity before setting it down before the injured Ranger. Arwen gestured for her to move closer, and she readily obeyed the command.

Thelle let the daughter of Elrond undo her bindings and allowed her to apply more _athelas_ paste to the wound so it would not become infected. How terrible would it be to survive all of this only to die from an infected wound? That was not something she wanted to experience.

"You are very lucky it was not worse," Arwen tutted as she inspected the blaring red rips in her abdomen. "Why did you do it? I heard from Estel that you had pushed a young dwarf out of the way. The dwarrow seemed immensely surprised you were willing to save one of them and put your own fate at risk."

Thelle shrugged and hid a wince from the cool burning feeling of Arwen applying the paste. "I would not let someone become injured when I could do something about it, as you know well enough. It is no different than anything I have done as a Ranger."

She knew she was right. There were enough scars that riddled her body to prove it.

A forlorn look crossed Arwen's delicate face. "I hope you will also start to treasure your own life as you treasure the lives of others."

Thelle looked down at the elleth with furrowed brows. "It is my duty to protect others before my own self. How could I even think to place my own soul over that of another?"

Arwen laid a hand on one of her own. "I hope you will one day understand that Estel and Calad need you alive and that I and many others need you alive, too. You are important in many different ways, _mellon_ , it is only up to you to decide that for yourself."

She swallowed. "I cannot abandon my duty."

Arwen nodded, finishing the wrapping on the wound softly before moving to stand up in front of her. "Beware of your value for duty to others, then. Perhaps you may need to find the same duty you have for others toward yourself."

Thelle smiled wanly. "You are not the first person to warn me of this."

Arwen's bright blue eyes widened in earnest. "Then you _must_ take these words as truth, _mellon_. You should be aware of the power you allow the life of a Ranger to take over you, as the duty you seek may not always be the right path to take."

"How would my duty, the oath I had once taken, _not_ be right? Is duty not called upon us for important purpose?"

Arwen shook her head sadly. "Not all the time, _mellon_. The duty you have to others is important, yes," she paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "However, the duty you have to your heart is what will bid you great success."

Thelle crossed her arms. "And what if my duty and my heart are connected? What if I cannot discern between one or the other?"

"You will know what to do when the time comes."

Thelle rolled her eyes. "You do realize that you are sounding like your grandmother more and more every day?"

Arwen giggled. "I do believe she is a great elleth to be compared to."

A loud laugh echoed throughout the room. "I guess the Lady Galadriel would be a strong role model, indeed," she acknowledged. "Thank you for your insight, _mellon nin_ , I would have you know that I do cherish it greatly."

"If you ever need to discuss anything else, I will always be here to help." The elleth let out a heavy breath, before looking around at the dress and the ready vanity set for proper pampering. "Enough of this, we hardly have enough time to spare! We must get you ready!"

Thelle nearly reared back in shock. "What?"

"We must prepare you to show off to your Dwarf King," Arwen sang with a mischievousness twinkling in her eyes.

A deep groan escaped the Ranger's chest. "Not you too?"

Arwen merely grinned. "Do not take me for a fool! I noticed the way in which you looked at him at the fountain. What is going on between you and the Lord Thorin Oakenshield, anyway?"

"Nothing," Thelle snapped. "Thorin and I are simply allied with each other and have similar goals, Arwen. That is it."

Arwen slowly nodded in agreement, although her eyes continued to sparkle knowingly which kept Thelle on edge. "Whatever you say, _mellon nin_."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The moment Thelle walked into the dining hall with Arwen on her arm, she knew she was in for a good time. It was either going to be fun, or she was going to go down in misery, so she decided to take the optimistic approach.

At least if she was going to go down, she would be going down while feeling pretty. If that was even the right word for it. Thelle felt like she was able to stand next to Arwen Udomiel, the Evenstar of her people, and still feel like she wasn't being drowned out.

Elves that they passed looked at the two powerful females walking side by side, with eyes so wide Thelle believed Estel could have used them for target practice. Really, weren't elves supposed to have superior manners, or were all races just becoming naturally terrible?

In the midst of this newfound attention, however, Thelle felt a small flicker of excitement in her chest.

This was the first time she had ever felt truly _beautiful_ and Thelle was wise enough to know that it most likely will be the only time it will ever happen. Between the natural elegance of Arwen and Calad, Thelle usually felt like the odd one out.

"Why is everyone staring?" Thelle whispered up to Arwen, causing a brilliant smile to grace the elleth's lips.

" _Mellon_ , they are looking at you."

A choked laugh escaped her before she could hold it back.

The dwarves minus Thorin along with Bilbo all sat together at a long dining table adjacent to where she saw the others. Gandalf, Estel, Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor, and Thorin all sat together, and from the looks of it the seating arrangement was rather awkward. Lindir, of course, wasn't too far off either.

Thorin had placed himself in the middle of the empty seats, as far away from the others he could get, Thelle noticed with a grin.

Little did he know they weren't going to be the only guests at that table this evening.

"Look, it's Thellie and the pretty elf!" Kili exclaimed, waving enthusiastically at the Ranger. "You look absolutely radiant this evening, Lady Huntress."

It seemed as though Kili was the only one who could use his words, as the other dwarves looked at Thelle with gaping mouths. Bilbo wasn't unaffected either, though his propriety as a hobbit naturally gave him a good enough disposition that allowed him to not look completely affected.

Thelle felt red start to rush onto her cheeks as she gave their table a polite nod, a wink to Kili, and continued on toward the other table that had also had their attention caught by Kili's exclamation.

Thorin looked far tidier than she had ever seen him, in a smartly embroidered blue tunic, and black leather trousers that framed his strong legs properly. At least, if Thelle happened to have looked, that is what she had seen.

 _If_ she looked.

His dark hair was pulled back by two braids, rich with different beads and other adornments, and were tied together on the back of his head. He had two braids falling down his chest from the back of his ears, which also held various beads that Thelle hadn't yet deciphered.

Basically, Thelle had to make sure she wasn't openly gaping at the Dwarf King and his good looks.

She could admit he was handsome, yes, but that didn't mean she _cared_ for the dwarf in any particular way. He was her ally. Her travel companion. That was all.

The way Arwen was looking between her and the Dwarf King didn't sit well with her, however. Thelle noticed that her dress was the same dark blue as Thorin's tunic, which was definitely not a coincidence.

Thelle lightly pinched Arwen's arm, and threw the elleth a look saying, _"We'll be talking, later."_

Arwen's smile only widened.

"Hello, daughter," Elrond spoke, standing to properly greet the Ladies. "Faradielle, it seems you are feeling much better?"

Thelle nodded breathlessly, not even trying to hide her smile when the others stood up with the Elf Lord. "I am, indeed."

Arwen quickly took her seat beside Gandalf, who purposefully pulled out a chair for her to sit in. She sat down gracefully, before waiting for Thelle to take her spot.

It was either leaving Thorin to sit next to both Calad and Amara, which would most likely lead the dwarf to leave immediately or taking a spot next to him and hoping for the best.

Thelle was going to hope for the best.

"Here you go, _Milady_ ," Thorin spoke, holding out the chair to his left and next to Arwen for her.

Thelle immediately snapped out of whatever daze she was in and waltzed to take her seat demurely. "Why, that is most kind of you, your _Majesty_."

Her gray eyes met his blue for a second, and the blush that was on her cheeks already only continued to deepen.

"It is my pleasure," Thorin said, his deep voice sending tingles down her spine.

Elrond, obviously having watched their interaction with a critical eye, immediately let out a cough, directing everyone at the table's attention toward him. "We are nearly all here, so if we must-"

"Oh no, Calad, I told you we were going to be late-"

"Shush, we're hardly late-"

"It was all your fault, why did you have to put me in this thing-"

"You look marvelous, Amara, and you-"

"Of course, I know it, but doesn't mean I gotta like it!"

Thelle let out a low groan at the sound of her niece and the rowdy dwarrowdam. This was going to be interesting to explain to Thorin.

"Hey, I told you that lass we saw at the courtyard was a dam!" Thelle heard Gloin announce and watched in slight despair as Thorin immediately whipped around to see Amara, the red head dwarrowdam stride into the hall with Calad at her heels.

Amara was wearing a gown that looked like a child elvish gown in its cut, and it was as red as the hair that lay braided on her head. The dam's broad bust was well-defined in the outfit, leaving little to the imagination of her curvy figure. Thelle wouldn't expect anything less from a woman wearing a child's clothing and noticed some of the dwarves- namely the younger ones- being drawn to her figure.

"What is this?" Thorin muttered.

"Awesome, the other dwarves are here too!" Amara exclaimed, showing her young age with the vitality of her excitement. Thelle noticed her look at their table quizzically before stopping on Bilbo. "And who are you? I'm afraid I've never seen one of your kind before."

Bilbo quickly stood, most likely due to his Baggins propriety. "I am a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, at your service."

Thelle grinned at the dwarvish exchange. "Amara, daughter of Idza, at yours," she nodded back. "I am a dwarrowdam, or a female dwarf if you will. Pleasure to meet ya, Master Baggins."

Several dwarves' heads tilted as they tried to recollect who sired this young lass. "Amara, you say?" Balin asked, standing up from his spot to make sure he was seen. "Daugher of Idza? I am not familiar with any Idza from the halls of Ered Luin?"

Amara shrugged. "Probably because I am not from those halls, Master Dwarf. I hail from the halls of Ered Mithrin."

Thelle noticed Thorin's eyes widen, along with many of the other dwarves.

"Were you a part of the missing convoy that was wrecked on their journey to Ered Luin?" Balin asked, going stiff at the memory. "I thought all from that were dead!"

Amara suddenly went inwards, and it was like watching the young dam fold in on herself. "Not all, it seems."

"Were there any survivors?" Thorin asked, standing up to look at the dam clearer.

Thelle knew the answer before Amara even spoke. The grey look on her face and the tears pooling in her eyes told the Ranger everything. "I am the only survivor, Master Dwarf."

Balin let out a cough, followed by a few awkward looks exchanged between the other dwarves. "Lassie, that is King Thorin Oakenshield, ye are speaking to."

Thelle smiled grimly once the dwarrowdam realized who she was actually speaking with, and rolled her eyes when the dam looked between the other dwarves in shock. She most likely had grown up hearing stories about Thorin and his kin, and never thought she'd ever meet them in real life.

"Oh, I am sorry my King, forgive me, I didn't realize-"

Thorin, who looked like he was holding back some amusement, held up a hand to stop her. "I did not introduce myself, and we have never crossed paths before this day. All is well, Miss Amara."

Thelle smiled kindly to the dam, who looked like she felt completely out of place, even though she was once again with her kin. "Come along, Calad, Amara, we must hurry before we receive our food."

Amara looked to Thelle thankfully and immediately turned to go sit at a completely different table, but Calad quickly grabbed the dam's arm and ushered her over to their seats.

Thelle noticed that Calad looked radiant in her light green gown that was tied off in the middle with a gold chain that accented her figure quite nicely. The sleeves trumpeted out in typical elven fashion and draped down to meet the floor even with her hands pressed against Amara's shoulders.

The dam who quietly took her spot next to the Dwarf King was not at all recognizable to the one who had waltzed right into the hall with a broad grin on her face. This one looked positively frightened to sit next to one of the characters in stories told from miles away.

Thelle pursed her lips to try and hide another smile that threatened to break loose. The last thing Amara needed was to feel like she was making fun of her, so she fought the amusement and quickly turned to face Lord Elrond as the hall once again became lit with calming music and voices.

"Thank you for this invitation and your hospitality, Lord Elrond," Thelle spoke diplomatically, giving a graceful nod to the ellon who raised her.

Elrond smiled good-naturedly to Thelle. "You know you are always welcome here, dear _Faradielle_." The Elf lord then waved a hand to one of the servants. "Now, let us eat!"

The meal went by smoothly, save for the occasional grumbling of the dwarves about there not being any meat, and Thelle nearly decided to go and shove a loaf of bread in their mouths to shut them up. It was because of how cleanly dressed she was that she didn't and figured it would be unseemly to do that at dinner.

Not that it had stopped her before.

"It has come to my attention that you're wearing a dress," Thorin commented to her between bites. She noticed he wasn't eating as readily as he usually does, but he still begrudgingly made the effort.

Thelle noticed a spark of amusement dance in his eyes. "I'm astounded you could come to such a revelation, _Majesty,_ " she spoke quietly. "It's surprising you've noticed anything at all, come to think of it."

An edge of his lip lifted slightly. "And why is that?"

"Besides the fact you lost your way twice to get to Bag End, you've also proven to be stubbornly single-tasked, which is not unusual."

He lifted an eyebrow. "For a dwarf?"

Thelle grinned. "No, for a _male_."

Thorin let out a low chuckle. "It seems you and my sister would have something in common."

"What would that be?"

Before he could answer, Gandalf interrupted, "I have spoken with Lord Elrond about the swords we have discovered in the Goblin hoard." Thorin's hand automatically reached down to hold the hilt of his blade. "He has agreed to see if they are of any renown."

Thelle felt Thorin's eyes and turned as they investigated hers with an unspoken question. She nodded slightly with what she hoped was a calming smile.

Keeping his eyes on her own, Thorin reached and unlatched the sword from his belt. He looked to Lord Elrond before handing his sword over, and Thelle couldn't stop the rush of heat spreading through her cheeks.

She noticed Calad giving her a knowing look along with Arwen and did her best to ignore them. Estel, on the other hand, was too busy gazing at Arwen to notice their interaction, which made Thelle feel slightly better about herself.

It wasn't her fault Thorin's eyes were mesmerizing. And it certainly didn't affect the way she thought about him, either. Nope. Not at all.

"This is Ocrist," Lord Elrond spoke, inspecting the sword closely. "The Goblin Cleaver."

He looked to Thorin before continuing, "This is a famous blade, forged by the High Elves of the West," he held the blade out to give back to the dwarf. "My kin. May it serve you well."

Thelle smiled at the nod Thorin gave the Elf Lord, before attaching it back to his belt.

"This is Glamdring," Lord Elrond held Gandalf's massive long sword in hand, sliding the blade out of its sheath to be met with the glistening silver forged from elves. "The Foe-Hammer. Sword for the King of Gondor."

Thelle peered over to see Estel's face pale slightly. She swallowed, trying to ignore the change of atmosphere as she set a content mask on her face and turned to face Elrond as he continued.

"These swords were made for the Goblin Wars of the First Age, and were lost for a great many years, how come you by these?"

Glorfindel leaned back in his seat slightly, his eyes locked on the sword now on Thorin's belt. "Ocrist once belonged to Ecthelion of the High Elves," he spoke, looking at the Dwarf King without emotion on his face. "He was a good friend. A valiant warrior and a great ellon."

Thorin blinked, and Thelle jumped into the rescue. "This is the Lord Glorfindel of House of the Golden Flower. He is the General of Imladris's troops."

Estel nodded in agreement and grinned slightly at the slight recognition on Thorin's face. "Yes, he is the same Glorfindel from the stories of old."

Amara's eyes widened and looked at Glorfindel with awe. "You killed a balrog?"

The golden-locked ellon sighed. "Yes, a long time ago I did defeat a balrog."

Thorin looked at the elf curiously. "Last I heard you were supposed to be dead?"

Glorfindel nodded in agreement. "Thanks to my hair, yes, I was. For quite some time, at least, until the Valar brought me back."

Thelle took the moment to grin at the dwarf smugly. "He's the one who taught me everything I know."

Thorin rolled his eyes. " _Ah_ , now it suddenly all makes sense."

Elrond quickly took the moment to regain control over the conversation. "As I was saying before, how did you come by these?"

Gandalf cleared his throat, meeting the eyes of both Thelle and Thorin before continuing, "We found them in a Troll-Hoard on the Great East Road," he started, ignoring the looks Thorin was throwing at him and continued, "shortly before we were ambushed by orcs."

"And what were you doing on the Great East Road?" Lord Elrond asked, peering over at the travellers cautiously. He stared Thelle down, "And why were you being chased so heavily by orcs?"

Thelle supposed the wine she drank must've kicked in because she said, "Oh I don't know… bad luck, probably."

Calad rolled her eyes at her aunt, and Estel let out a cough to hide a laugh. Thelle had told them of their plans, and knew they were smart enough not to divulge anything to the others. Even if they trust them with their lives, it was no one's business but their own.

With slight annoyance in his eyes, Elrond took a sip of wine and changed the subject. "Thirteen Dwarves, a Dúnedan Chieftess, and a Halfling," he turned to Gandalf. "Strange traveling companions, Gandalf."

"THese are descendants of the House of Durin. The noble, decent folk," Gandalf readily explained. "They are surprisingly cultured," Thelle tried to ignore Thorin stiffening next to her and Amara's fiery glare directed to the wizard. "They have a deep love of the arts."

"Change the tune, why don't you?" Nori's voice called out, causing Thelle to let out a slight groan. "I feel like I'm at a funeral."

Thelle put her hands to her face in exasperation, but also to hide the silent giggles that threatened to sneak through. "Did somebody die?" Oin asked his companions, shocked.

She peered over to the dwarf table, where Bofur grinned mischievously. "Alright lads, there's only one thing for it." Thelle couldn't hide her laughter anymore when Bofur launched himself onto the table and started to sing.

She looked to Arwen, who wasn't even surprised at the change of events, instead watched on with a content smile on her face. "I told you so, _mellon_."

They both laughed.


	17. the one with moon runes and dreams

**The Revenge of a Huntress**

 **the one with moon runes and dreams**

Once the little performance put on by the dwarves was over, Thelle had to keep herself from wringing them all by the neck at their blatant disrespect. Her niece and nephew seemed to enjoy the show, and Amara was watching them in awe. However, the pained look on Elrond's face told Thelle enough.

"That's enough, all of you," She chastened. The dwarves all turned to look at her with widened eyes, stopping the food fight they had gotten themselves into. "I fully expect you lot to pick all of this up before you leave. If this is how you act in a diplomatic manner, then I can't say I'm surprised at how secluded you dwarves are."

A few of the dwarves immediately glared at her. "I don't think ye know what ye talkin' bout lassie," Dwalin seethed, crossing his arms. "We are a pleasant folk to be 'round."

Thelle didn't keep herself from rolling her eyes. "Take a look around you and then think about what you just said, Master Dwalin."

"We were only tryin' to liven the place up," Bofur explained, taking his hat off in earnest. "It was as dead as a funeral in here."

Thelle heard Estel snort behind her, and immediately whipped her head to give him a glare. "I don't care if you were bored," she began, turning back to face the company once more. "This is no way to treat your host. Now, I do believe the rest of us have business to get to."

She turned to face the others, and smiled kindly. "I apologize on behalf of the company, Lord Elrond. This blatant disrespect will not happen again," she promised.

Thelle noticed Thorin stiffen at her side. It was almost as if the notion of being around elves any longer made the Dwarf King sick.

Lord Elrond only nodded his head in understanding. "In many years previous similar occurrences have happened, it is of no consequence."

"You had dealings with dwarves before?" Amara asked. "I thought elves and dwarves never liked each other."

Elrond looked at the young dwarrowdam with kind eyes. "We have been allied together against a greater evil in the past, young one." He then turned to face Gandalf with furrowed brows. "Now, what is this business you would like to discuss?"

Thorin immediately crossed his arms. "Our business is of no concern to elves," he snapped. Thelle had to keep herself from elbowing him in the ribs for that comment.

She vaguely noticed Gandalf motion for Bilbo and Balin to come closer to the group, Bilbo standing beside Gandalf while Balin subconsciously flanked behind his King.

Thelle had Amara leave with the other elves, as all who were left were Elrond and Glorfindel, and allowed for her niece and nephew to stick closer to her. She allowed them to come along as her second and third in command, as this information might be necessary for them as well.

The rest of the dwarves quickly left the halls, after giving their apologies and surprising Thelle at their admittance of disrespect. They left to retire for the evening rather quickly as they obviously had a talent for cleaning up after their messes in a swift fashion.

"For goodness' sake, Thorin, show him the map," Gandalf sniped. It was obvious that the grey wizard was coming close to wits end with the stubbornness of dwarves.

"It is the legacy of my people," Thorin argued. "It is mine to protect, as are its secrets."

Thelle slowly stepped toward Thorin, but refrained from touching his arm. "Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves," Gandalf muttered, causing her to purse her lips. "Your pride will be your downfall. You stand in front of few in Middle Earth who can read that map. Now show it to Lord Elrond."

Thorin stiffened further, and turned his head slightly to meet Thelle's eyes with a questioning gaze. She nodded, patting his arm slightly.

He steeled himself before reaching inside his coat's pocket to pull out a piece of parchment, much to Balin's obvious shock as he reached out to stop his King with an arm. "Thorin, no."

Thelle looked to Thorin's advisor with a pleading gaze. She knew Balin needed to be on Thorin's side for the King to willingly hand it over, and placed all of her will into that one look.

Balin blinked, before turning back to Thorin with slightly less confidence, and stepped back.

Thorin handed the map to Lord Elrond, who unfolded it carefully with widening eyes. "Erebor," he breathed out, before looking up to face the others with an odd look on his face. "What is your interest in this map?"

Gandalf opened his mouth, then paused slightly. Thelle figured it was time to save the day.

"Thrain, Thorin's father, gave my brother this map when he came across our village nearly 35 years ago," Thelle explained, lying through her teeth. "We are looking for him and hope that this map may have a clue as to where he went."

She quickly looked away from the suspicious eyes of the Lord who she has never been able to lie to. So why would she think she could this time? Well, everyone knows Gandalf is a terrible liar, so _someone_ had to try.

Calad and Estel looked at her curiously. She doesn't often talk about Arathorn, but when she has, they were always completely enraptured about the father they never knew. Thelle didn't need to look at the Dwarf King at her side to know he was looking at her as well, and tried to avoid him as long as possible.

"You still read ancient Dwarvish, do you not?" Gandalf asked Lord Elrond, who turned his suspicious gaze to the wizard.

Elrond's response was to look at the parchment closer. " _Cirith Ithill_ ," he muttered.

Thelle's eyebrows shot up. "Moon runes?"

Gandalf's face lit up. "Of course," he looked to the hobbit at his side with a small grin. "They are an easy thing to miss."

She could feel Thorin's curiosity at her knowledge. "And something that neither Gandalf nor I can read," she noted, giving the Dwarf King a pointed look. "We need Lord Elrond if we wish to understand this map."

Elrond looked between the two with a look Thelle didn't understand. "In that case, that is true," Elrond spoke. "Moon runes can only be read by the light of the moon of the same shape and season as the day on which they were written."

Thorin looked to the Elf Lord desperately. "Can you read them?"

A knowing look was the answer Thorin received. "Come with me."

Thelle grinned at Thorin, who's eyes widened in disbelief. Surely the elves would not be so ready to help them, as they had never helped them before. But she knew that Thorin was well aware that something was changing, and it all started when she came along the quest.

The small group followed Lord Elrond and Glorfindel through the halls of Imladris, and Thelle allowed Estel to take her arm to guide her there. It wasn't that she particularly needed the help, but when it was offered she knew well enough to take it.

Calad glided along on Estel's other side. Bilbo was walking with Gandalf as the two dwarves were walking along with each other and speaking in dwarvish softly to each other.

"I did not know that you and father had met Lord Thrain," Calad commented, breaking the silence between the three. "It seems I did not know a lot of things."

Thelle grimaced. "Your father and I had many different adventures together, Calad. I have simply forgotten to speak of a few, that is all."

"You make this seem so unimportant," Estel said. "So why is it that you are working with the dwarves if it is so?"

"The importance of Thrain's visit is recent," she explained. "My apologies to you both for keeping you in the dark of this matter, but it needed to be done."

She felt the muscles in Estel's arm tighten. "You should not keep these things from us, Aunt. We wish to help you."

"You wish to join me, which is another issue altogether," Thelle corrected lightly. "You will not be joining me on this quest, as the both of you have other duties you must see to when I am gone."

Calad scoffed. "You are just trying to protect us-"

"With good reason, too," Thelle snapped. "You both are too young and too important to risk your lives for this matter. Besides, this is something I must see to myself. It is personal."

"How is it personal?"

Thelle ignored Estel's questioning as they walked into a solar, where a perfect light hit the room from the moon above.

"These runes were written on Midsummer's Eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two-hundred years ago," Lord Elrond spoke, peering down at the parchment once more. Thelle looked to Thorin, who's eyes were big at the elf's knowledge.

Elrond laid the parchment on a viewing table where the rest of the group gathered around. "It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell," Elrond continued, looking at Thorin with a slight smile. "Fate is with you, Thorin Oakenshield, for the same moon shines upon us tonight."

Within moments, the moon was cleared from the clouds covering it, and the light hit the map causing a form of light to shine among the map. Thelle's eyes widened as she saw the runes appear.

"Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and its setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole," Elrond translated.

Thelle watched as Thorin and Balin's faces turned thoughtful, and they shared a glance. However, Bilbo was confused. "Durin's Day?"

Gandalf turned to him. "It is the start of the Dwarves's New Year, when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together."

"This is ill news," Thorin voiced. "Summer is passing, Durin's Day will soon be upon us."

Balin immediately looked to his King. "We still have time."

"Time? For what?" Bilbo asked, and Thelle smiled at the hobbit lowly.

"To find the entrance, of course," she said, swallowing tightly when she felt the stares of the elves and her kin immediately come upon her.

"We have to be standing at the exact right spot at exactly the right time," Balin continued to tell Thorin. "Then, and only then, can the door be opened."

"So this is your purpose, to enter the mountain?" Elrond asked, his voice cutting through the others like a sharp blade. Thelle tilted her head downward at his disapproving stare.

Thorin immediately turned on him. "What of it?"

"There are some who would not deem it wise," Glorfindel spoke, his voice sounding like a soothing balm after the cut of Elrond's own.

Thorin snatched the map back, and placed it back into his pocket with a small glare.

"What do you mean?" Gandalf questioned the solemn elves.

Elrond only turned to him with a wry smile. "You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle Earth," he said, before turning with Glorfindel at his side and walking out of the room. Thelle looked to her niece and nephew and sighed.

"So now you know," she started.

Estel stepped away from her side to look at her disapprovingly. "Now we know you are going on a suicide mission."

"It is too dangerous," Calad agreed. "Especially for the _Chieftess_ of our people."

Thelle noted Thorin, Balin, Bilbo, and Gandalf standing nearby, most likely hearing everything the small family was saying. Good, she thought. They needed to hear this too.

"We all know that is not my birthright," she said. "I am merely stewarding for you, Estel."

Her nephew narrowed his eyes. "I am not ready for such a task. You would be wrong to place it upon me so you can go galavanting with those dwarves!"

"Do not use that tone with me, Estel. You do not understand why I must do this, neither of you do." She let out a sigh. "He who hunts Oakenshield is the one who killed your father," she admitted.

"The white orc?" Calad asked, her voice small. "You intend to face the white orc?"

Thelle nodded. "It is time."

Estel shook his head, and crossed his arms tightly. "You will do no such thing, _Aunt_."

"You are in no place to tell me what to do, _Estel_."

"And you are going to get yourself killed!"

Thelle looked up at her nephew, eyes narrowed and steeled over. "That is _enough_ , Estel. We will speak no more of it."

Calad shifted slightly. "This is why I keep having dreams of your death," she muttered, eyes turning glassy as she spoke. "I keep seeing an orc blade impaling you-"

Thelle heard a gasp sound from behind her, and steeled herself even more. "I said that was enough, Calad, and you will do as I say," she thundered, darkening eyes locking on her neice and nephew. "Now you will retire for the night. I do not wish to hear from you until tomorrow."

She turned her back on her kin and walked to the others, leaving them behind.

"Did she really see such things?" Gandalf asked her quietly as they made their way from the viewing hall.

Thelle nodded, forcing herself to forget about the pain that radiated across her abdomen from being taken over by her anger. "She has spoken of it before, yes."

Gandalf's face turned grim. "Calad is rarely wrong, _mellon nin_."

"Your niece is a seer?" Thorin asked, cutting through the tension.

"Yes, she takes after her mother's mother. Some elvish traits descend through the lines of the Dúnedain, and she happens to have one of those traits."

Thorin's eyes pierced into her own. "And she foresees your death?"

Thelle swallowed hard. "She has been wrong before."

" _Rarely_ ," Gandalf cut in, earning a glare from the Ranger. The wizard merely shrugged. "You know I am right."

"I am a part of the company, and I will see this through till the end," Thelle concluded, glaring at anyone who dared to correct her. "You will not persuade me to not go along with you on this journey. It is my quest too, now."

Balin walked along, his eyes narrowing at the ground. "You intend to end the life of the white orc?"

Thelle nodded stiffly. "I thought that to be obvious."

Thorin raised a brow. "I intend to be the one who does the honor, Lady Ranger."

A grimace overtook her mouth at his words. "Perhaps we will need to make this into a competition, Majesty."

Gandalf groaned at her words. "I should have known the two of you would lead to trouble."

Thelle let out a surprised laugh, one that was echoed by the others. They did not speak for the rest of their journey back to where the dwarves had made camp, as there was plenty for everyone to think about in the meantime.

Gandalf quickly made off into a different direction, leading the rest of them to find their way back by themselves. Immediately, Thelle figured she should take the lead as Thorin is obviously direction-deprived, Balin remained at his King's side, and Bilbo may not be much better than either of them.

As soon as they made it to the small camp, Thelle had to groan when she saw that the dwarves had broken a part some chairs and made a fire from the wood. Ruddy bastards.

"I thought I told you to be more gracious to your hosts," Thelle once again chastised. "Never once did I say you should break furniture to make a fire. There are plenty of beds for you lot to sleep in, too."

Gloin grumbled at her words. "I'd never sleep in a bed belonging to an _elf_."

Thelle raised a brow as the other dwarrow muttered their agreements. "We did clean up as you asked, Lady Thelle," Ori spoke, looking up from his journal that he had been writing in. "Surely that is kind enough."

"Normally I would say it is not, but this time I'll admit that I am far too tired to try and persuade you differently," she said, placing a hand on where her wound lie. "I think I will need to retire, myself, this evening."

Thorin's eyes snapped to her injury. "Are you in pain?"

She ignored the concern that swept through his tone. "Just tired, is all."

Thorin nodded. "I will walk you back to your rooms."

Thelle did her best to hide the flush that spread across her cheeks. "I can make my way there just find on my own-"

Thorin placed a hand softly on her arm, just as she had done a few hours ago. "It would not be very kingly of me to allow you to walk back yourself, especially while you are injured."

"I can take care of myself," she muttered, starting to walk back to the rooms in annoyance. At least, what she hoped he thought was annoyance. Really, it was quite endearing to walk her back safely.

"You saved the life of my kin," Thorin spoke. "It is the least I can do."

She decided to accept that. If he had done the same for either Estel or Calad, she would not know what she would do. Perhaps try to repay him in some way, just as he seems to be doing. Thelle wouldn't deprive him of that honor.

As they walked back in a comfortable silence, they came upon two voices that could be heard.

"Really, I think you can trust I know what I am doing," Gandalf's voice echoed. Thelle and Thorin shared a look before immediately heading to a hiding place.

"Do you?" Elrond's voice questioned. "That dragon has slept for 60 years. What would you do if your plan failed? If you woke the beast?"

"What if we succeed?" Gandalf asked. "If the dwarves take back the mountain, our defences in the East will be strengthened."

Thelle felt Thorin tense slightly next to her. She grasped his hand for support. He doesn't even know what is coming.

"It is a dangerous move, Gandalf," Elrond warned.

"It is also dangerous to do nothing," Gandalf insisted. "Oh, come on, the throne is Thorin's birthright. What is it that you fear?"

"Have you forgotten?" Elrond stopped in his tracks and turned to the wizard. "A string of madness runs deep in that family." Thelle looked to Thorin at those words, seeing the tension clear as day on his features. "His grandfather lost his mind. His father succumbed to the same sickness." Thelle noticed silver lining the Dwarf King's eyes. "Can you swear Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall?"

Thelle immediately took Thorin's hands with both her own, and looked at him earnestly, seeing the pain beyond the tears in his eyes. She smiled, giving his hands a squeeze. She placed her trust in him, and wanted to make sure the Dwarf recognized it. She would not let him fall.

Thorin blinked.

She tore him away from the scene, and allowed the two to continue on their trek to her rooms. "I will not let you fall, Thorin," she muttered, squeezing the hand she still held. "You will not give in, as long as there is still breath in my lungs."

Thorin stopped in his tracks, meeting her questioning gaze with his determined one. "Thank you, Milady."

Thelle smiled to him again. "Anytime, Majesty."

Thorin smiled back at the Lady Ranger, then quickly looked away with a faint blush on his neck, luckily hidden by his beard and hair. "We will leave once you are able and ready. I will not be leaving you behind."

Thorin noticed that eyes glowed in the moonlight. "Thank you, Thorin."

It was then that the two continued on, only this time with a new feeling flickering in their hearts.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Calad lay in bed, eyes focused on the ceiling above her. It was foreign, to see stone, after the years she has spent in Lothlorien with leaves creating the flet.

Estel was still raving mad about what their aunt was doing, but Calad, for her part, understood. If something had killed her twin, she would stop at nothing to get her revenge.

Even if it would kill her.

Perhaps it is that which makes Calad and her aunt so alike. They are both driven by emotion, rather than knowledge and honor. Calad would do anything to see her brother safe, even if it meant doing unlikely acts that would taint her soul.

She would do anything to see Estel safe.

Calad supposed Faradielle once thought the same; until the worse had happened and all she was left with was her desire for revenge. So, she understood. Faradielle had to do this, so that her brother's memory would finally be at rest.

However, that doesn't mean that she thought what her aunt was doing was right.

"We will need to follow her," Estel had said. "We will need to make sure she is safe."

"Who will take care of our people, Estel? Our duty? We cannot abandon them to go on some wayward quest-"

"You would see our aunt die?" he snapped, grey eyes wide in rage.

Calad glared at her brother. "Of course not! I just don't believe we should be following her without drawing up some plans first! There is no reason to be having this conversation right now, brother. We will need to plan before we make any sudden moves. There are more lives than just our aunt's at stake!"

That shut Estel's mouth. If there was anything to say of her brother, it would be that he is a great leader. Good for their people. Not something that she can say she shares in common with him.

"We will speak of it in the morning, Estel," Calad promised. "I am too tired to think of such things right now."

He nodded, before letting out a low sigh. "Good night, _nethig._ "

Calad grinned. "Sweet dreams, _muindor_."

The love she had for her brother shined brighter than any star in the sky. He was the best thing that had happened to her, and she knew he felt the same. Even when rivaled against his care for Arwen, she knew her brother always held a large place for her in his heart.

With thoughts on her family and love, Calad soon slipped into a deep sleep.

 _Where am I?_

 _Calad walked along an old road of beaten stone, where the air was cool and the sky was dark and grey. Something happened here. Or, rather, something was happening here. And it was nothing good._

 _She twirled around where she stood, looking to see if she could find something that could distinguish her place. Nothing._

 _She found nothing but old runes of places that must have once been a booming city. But now it was desolate, forgotten. Something dark roamed these streets._

" _Daughter of Isildur," a low hiss sounded, and Calad immediately felt a rush of cold air flow through her skirts._

 _She gulped. "What are you?"_

" _You have heard my name," it spoke, drawn out like a serpent's tongue. Her hands started to shake._

" _I will not play your games, villain," She spoke aloud, doing her best to sound confident when she felt anything but. "Now tell me your name."_

" _I will tell you mine if you tell me yours…"_

 _Calad stiffened. "You will not hear a thing from me, villain."_

 _The masked voice immediately turned into laughter, sending chills down her spine. The cackle of a beast, she thought. The evil was here, and it was nothing good. Not something she could face alone._

 _She needed to get out of here._

 _The sound of footsteps coming up behind her caused her to shriek, but when she turned to see who had rushed up, it was something she hadn't expected._

" _Radagast?"_

 _The brown wizard was rushing up the stairs behind her, and she felt herself be pulled along with him as he hurried through the city of carven stone._

" _Radagast, what is it?"_

 _Of course, he didn't answer her. He was muttering something, however, but it wasn't loud enough for her to make out._

 _He stopped suddenly, and started to slowly turn around, just as a ghost appeared out of an old figure of a knight. Just as she called out a warning, the wizard quickly turned around and deflected the swing of the ghost's sword with his staff._

 _After a drawn out battle between the two, Calad's eyes locked on the sword that was left behind._

 _A sword she had only seen in books. The Witch King of Angmar._

 _Radagast quickly grabbed the sword with a loose piece of cloth, stuffed it in his robes, then took off out of the city with a new-found haste in his step._

 _Calad was once again alone._

 _But this time, she was even more terrified now she knew what type of evil roamed here._

 _She was not left alone for long, as the wind picked up around her and brought her down into the mountain where she was met with a horrific sight._

 _Orcs. Tons of them._

 _And… slaves?_

 _This must be where slaves are being taken to, she realized. The slaves, dressed in torn cloth and barbaric shackles, where being forced to… what were they doing? Mining?_

 _For what?_

 _As if what had taken her beneath the mountain read her mind, she was whisked away by the wind and brought to a forge. Weapons. They were mining to make weapons. Weapons for the orcs?_

 _The sight of armed orcs fighting slaves and murdering them brutally with newly shining weaponry proved her right._

 _Yes. They were building an army._

 _Calad felt her stomach drop, and felt the vomit start to pool in her throat. What did this mean? Was all of Middle Earth in peril?_

 _The wind, moving her around once more, brought her to stand right next to a particular small slave, hunched over from taking a beating. The cloth around the slave's back was bloodied and tears of the cloth opened to show cuts from a whip raw and red._

 _Her eyes welled up with tears in pain for this poor soul. She needed to help them- she had to help them…_

" _It will be alright," she spoke, kneeling down to be on the level of the slave. "I will help you. I will find you, you will be safe once more."_

 _A low groan emitted from their lips. Their eyes flickered up, looking into hers, shocking the woman in her spot._

" _Lukhud zantansim_ _â."_

 _The slave was a dwarf; a dwarf with tattoos along his face, something that she has been told before…_

" _Lukhudûl zantansimâ!"_

 _The dwarf with the tattooed face rushed up to her, gripping her shoulders firmly and started to shake her._

" _LUKH_ _Û_ _DUL ZANTANSIM_ _Â_ _!"_

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

 **Translations:**

 **-Sindarin-**

 _ **Cirith**_ _ **Ithil**_ **\- Moon Runes**

 _ **Mellon nin**_ **\- My Friend**

 **-Kudzhul-**

 _ **Lukhud zantansim**_ _ **â**_ **\- The light will save us**

 _ **Lukhudûl zantansimâ**_ **\- The light-woman will save us**

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

 **So what did you think? I was pretty shocked at how this played out. It was fun, however, to step into the perspective of Calad for awhile. Hopefully you guys fall in love with her as a character as I have :)**

 **Let me know who you think that dwarf is!**

 **Obviously they will be important ;)**

 **Remember to like/comment/follow if you enjoyed!**

 **-Ally**


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